Gone
by EchidnaGirl
Summary: It's been a year. Cream and her mother throw a party to reunite the Sonic team... But some of them have changed... And not in a good way. What do you do when a year's absence changes you... Beyond recognition? Knuxouge pairing, slight Sonamy
1. Never Crazy

Okay. This is my first piece of fanfiction ever published. It's also one of my more far-fetched ideas. Oh, well. We'll see how this goes.

I owe my inspiration for this story to the song "Papercut" by Linkin Park. Especially this first chapter.

All the characters in this story are not my property. I don't own any of them.

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**Gone**

**Chapter One: Never Crazy**

The wind... was unusually bitter, whipping across the grass, through the branches of the old forest trees. It shrieked and wailed against the harsh summer air.... And yet I barely noticed it.

There was the place. I recognized it from the description on the invitation. It jutted out of the forest trees, the only building for miles around. I smiled as I drifted slowly to the ground, folding my wings. The house looked just as I had imagined it would: an enormous mansion, sunshine yellow in color, surrounded entirely by a lovely, well-kept garden.

"Look, Mother, it's Ms. Rouge!" My ears twitched a bit, focusing on the sound of Cream's joyful voice, and I smiled as I approached the little rabbit and her mother.

"Good evening, Cream," I said, nodding in greeting, then I turned to the taller rabbit, "Vanilla."

Cream beamed at me. I was almost taken aback. The little bunny was just overly friendly, it seemed, to everyone. Even though I barely knew her... And it'd been about a year since the last time I saw her... Or anyone coming to this party, really. I suddenly felt out of place... Like I wasn't supposed to be here, among this gathering of friends. Upon seeing Vanilla's warm smile, though, I couldn't bring myself to leave.

"Thanks for inviting me..." I returned their smiles, but I was feeling anything except gratitude. _Why, oh why, did I have to come? I shouldn't have come... I should've stayed at home..._

The wind blew across my face, but I barely noticed its bitterness. My thoughts were giving me a headache.

There was a terribly annoying voice inside my head, taunting me in a singsong voice, _'You know why you came.... You just wanted to see __**him**__.'_

Another voice in my head, much more serious than the first, responded quickly, _'Shut up.'_

I smiled a bit, walking on, as the voices continued on, _'Face it, Rouge, you had no intention of coming before you saw his name on the guest list....'_

_'That's not true. Shut up.' _I smiled wider. They were just trying to amuse me, now. They had this argument all the time, but it was never serious. No. We all knew the truth.

_'Give it up, Rouge. You can't get him off of your mind. You've fallen head-over-heels for that echidna.'_

_'You don't know what you're talking about.'_

_'But I know what you're thinking about. Same thing as always... Him. Why else would you give up treasure hunting?'_

_'It was a bad habit. I needed to get out of it.'_

_'Lies. Lies you tell yourself because you're scared.'_

_'Ha. I fear nothing.'_

_'Except rejection.'_

The voices stopped when I neared the door. I frowned. I guessed the voices had to stop eventually. They were beginning to drive me insane... _But maybe insanity isn't so bad...._

I touched the doorknob and debated going inside... It'd been a year since I'd seen any of the people who were going to be inside. The longest year of my life... I closed my eyes, trying to remember what had triggered so much to change.

I supposed it started when I sent in my resignation letter directly to the President's office... No, it started before that, though I couldn't exactly remember when... It just happened one day. A thought entered my mind and refused to go away... That's when these voices started visiting me. They comforted me at night, driving away sleep, and I listened to them quarrel... They were the ones who convinced me to quit work, move out of Station Square. They taught me how dangerous people could be, and that I should stay away from everyone...

Yes, I was eternally grateful to the voices inside me. And when they told me that I should accept this invitation, I did just as they were told... In return for their wisdom, this splitting headache really isn't all that bad...

I smiled, not crazily, for I could never be crazy! I knew exactly what I was doing.

I remembered the day I told Shadow about these voices. Haha. Silly Shadow. He told me I was insane! He even went to the President to request "special help". I'm not insane! In fact, I left town that night. The voices told me to lay low. I did everything the voices said. They were always right.... Haha, silly Shadow. I'm not insane.

I'm not insane.

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Okay... Well, looks like Rouge has finally lost it, doesn't it? Haha.... Yeah.

Will she regain her sanity?

What happens when she meets everyone again?

... And, yes, I'm aware that this story is very strange. It's about the weirdest story I've ever written... Still, read and review, please. Next chapter will be up soon!


	2. Hating Paranoia

...Okay. Well, thanks to my two reviewers! I really appreciate you taking the time to let me know you're interested in this story!

Here's Chapter 2! It is slightly longer, and the point-of-view has changed. Just thought I'd clarify that.

Again, I own no one.

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**Chapter Two: Hating Paranoia**

I tried to forget about it. The last thing I wanted to do was go to the party. That's all I could think about ever since I found out **she **was going to be there.

It was childish... Stupid how I wanted to avoid her. But I couldn't help it. I didn't want to see her again.

I'd been thinking about her all year. Too much. I'd gotten used to her visits to the island, even if they were attempts to steal the Master Emerald.... But when she stopped coming, I didn't know what to think... Yet I still couldn't get her off my mind.

Thinking about her made me irritable -- horribly so. And it was obvious. To everyone. But I didn't care. When I finally realized she wasn't going to come back... I just didn't care.

Sonic came to visit me a few times, like when he told me about this stupid party. He seemed oblivious to any change in my behavior. Maybe to him it didn't look like I'd changed much.... Maybe it was my own imagination.

I turned around, closing my eyes, trying to shake off the paranoia creeping up my spine. There was a rustling in the bushes... But I didn't open my eyes. The Master Emerald pulsated heat against my face... It almost hurt. But I just didn't feel like opening my eyes. Unfamiliar footsteps hit the ancient stone of the shrine... I didn't want to open my eyes. I could swear I heard wings flapping... I took a step back. And tripped. Backwards down the stairs.

The fall was harsh... I hit every step on the way down. I could feel the stone scraping at my skin every second, until I finally hit the ground... I could feel the scrapes and scratches, some of them slightly bleeding.... And then I heard laughing... To my left. Whoever this intruder was... He was laughing at me! I jolted up, opening my eyes, fists at the ready...

But no one was there.

I cursed under my breath. This had been happening too often lately. I trudged back up to the sickly green stone twirling in place silently, and I stared at it.

"This is all your fault."

Months ago, I would probably have been shocked at myself for saying those words. And for glaring with so much hatred at the emerald I'd guarded my whole life... But I wasn't surprised, now. The words just came, and, when I spoke them, I felt they were true. I didn't regret them.

The Master Emerald ignored me and continued to spin slowly... I watched it carelessly, a sickening feeling rising in my stomach. I wasn't even aware I'd opened my mouth when the words came out, "I hate you." The words were a relief, and I stared at the emerald. It just continued to spin. I'd spent eighteen years of my life guarding this jewel. And I hated it. And it didn't even care.

I could feel anger bubbling up inside me, attempting to break boiling point, and I shouted at it, "I hate you!" ... More anger... It seemed to be healing the pain I'd kept away for so long...

"I hate this island!" The loneliness, hurt, fear, I'd ever felt... It was breaking away. So, that was it; hatred was the key all along. I tried to think of something else to hate, and an evil scientist with an oversized moustache popped into my head immediately.

"I hate Eggman!!" I growled, finding something else almost immediately -- that stupid, arrogant blue hedgehog.

"I hate Sonic!!!"

It took me less than a second to think of the next name. She was the one who wouldn't get out of my mind. The only one thought that was always there. The one person I had to think about constantly, and the one I was sure hated my existence...

I breathed deeply, shouting her name louder than the rest, "I HATE ROUGE THE BAT!"

I waited for the relief to come, just as it had come before... But it didn't... And I didn't feel that familiar sensation that I always got from speaking the truth... That could mean nothing but one thing. The statement.... was a lie.

I stood there, breathing heavily, confused and angry, _Why don't I hate her? WHY?! _I roared, losing control, and my fist lashed out to the only thing around: the Master Emerald. The force from my fist pounded into the gem, shattering it into countless pieces. And the force from inside the magic jewel countered with an explosion. I watched as the numerous shards blew apart, flying with force unimaginable. I had no clue where they'd end up, and I didn't try to stop them, my mind on something else. Most of the pieces blew off the island, but one landed at my feet.

The heat of summer suddenly seemed more overbearing than before, and I leaned down, taking the single emerald shard in my hand... The shard singed my hand, burning me even through my glove, but I took no heed, considering the burn a seal to my resolve... I wasn't one much for lying, and I was going to do everything in my power to stay that way. If that meant transfiguring the truth into something else... So be it.

The flight to Cream's mansion wouldn't be that long. And it would be worth it now. The wind picked up, and my dreadlocks caught it, allowing me to take flight.... I had only one thought before leaving the island...

_I will hate you, Rouge the Bat._

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So... Knuckles is not only paranoid; he also has a strong desire to hate everything about his life, it seems... Hmm... Will he be able to, indeed, hate Rouge? And what about her insanity?

Another slightly disturbing chapter, it looks like... But more is coming! Soon, I promise! Soon!


	3. Pretentious Confusion

Thank you to my reviewers! I can't believe people are actually reading this... I'm glad they are, though! Here's the next chapter. This one's probably going to be the oddball chapter. We're switching to Amy's point of view.

I still own no one.

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**Chapter Three: Pretentious Confusion**

...She was just.... standing there. With her hand on the doorknob. I waited for her to open the door, to go inside but she... didn't. I didn't really want to rush her, but it was hot outside, and I really didn't want to sweat... This was a new dress! So, I finally just asked, "Are you gonna actually open the door, Rouge?"

She turned around to me then, and the look on her face was.... scary. Her aqua eyes were unfocused as if she wasn't really seeing what was in front of her, and she had the creepiest smile plastered on her face. I looked at her, unable to say anything else... I was scared to say anything else.

She simply continued to smile at me, her eyes blank voids, and I backed up a step. Then I saw her open her mouth and her voice came out, "Of course, Amy." Her voice was strangely calm, and she turned around back to the door, opened it, and went inside.

I smoothed out my new red dress then followed her through the door, closing it behind me, and I looked around. Sonic and Tails were lounging on the couch, seemingly immersed in some tv show. I walked over to them, trying to forget about Rouge's strange behavior. Neither the fox or hedgehog looked up as I approached. I sighed, taking a seat on the couch next to Sonic and glanced at the tv.

Then I turned to Sonic, eyes narrowed, suddenly sure that he was only pretending to watch the screen. I crossed my arms, annoyed, "Sonic..."

He innocently turned to look at me, his eyes their brilliant emerald green, and he tried to feign surprise, "Oh, hi, Amy. Didn't see you come in." He gestured toward the television, "You know... So caught up in the tv..."

My expression didn't change, and I shook my head, "Sonic, since when did you care about the history of quantum physics?"

He shrugged, refusing to admit that he only pretended to watch the show, hoping that I wouldn't talk to him. I rolled my eyes, then looked around the room again. Rouge was standing against the wall, her eyes roving the room, that creepy smile still on her face... She was the only one in the room, other than Sonic, Tails, and I. She suddenly turned her head in my direction, and I quickly jerked back around, leaning closer to Sonic.

I could tell that she was still looking in my direction, so I tried to sound casual, asking Sonic, "Where's Knuckles? Isn't he supposed to be here?"

Again, Sonic shrugged. I felt Rouge's gaze shift away from me then, and I breathed a sigh of relief, hardly listening as Sonic answered my question, "He didn't seem too thrilled about the idea when I talked to him. I think I eventually talked him into it." He then whispered, nodding his head in Rouge's direction, "You know, once I told him _**Rouge**_ was going to be here."

I faked a smile, before seizing the opportunity to mention her weird behavior, "Sonic, have you noticed Rouge's acting... strange?"

He tilted his head, returning my hushed voice, "What do you mean?"

"...Well... Just outside a few minutes ago, she was just standing at the door, with her hand on the doorknob... But she didn't go in. I don't know how long she was standing there before I got here, either. I waited on her for about five minutes..."

"Ames, I think you're overreacting. She's probably just nervous. You know, she hasn't seen Knuckles in a long time. And you know she likes him."

I thought about that for a second, then came up with another question, "Wait, how do you know she hasn't seen Knuckles in a long time?"

Sonic rolled his eyes, "When I went to see Knuckles to tell him about the party, he was in his 'depressed' mood. The one where he sulks and won't make eye contact or anything. So, I figured he hadn't seen her in a while. That's usually why he's in a bad mood."

I nodded, "Oh, okay." But I still couldn't get Rouge's odd expression out of my head... If I didn't know any better, I'd think her smile was almost.... deranged.

Sonic watched me for a second but he seemed to think I was still worried about Knuckles. He smiled, and I studied his smile... But it only made me more confused. Sonic's smile was genuine, natural, bright.... sane. Everything that Rouge's hadn't been. I closed my eyes. What were the chances of Rouge actually going mad? Sonic was probably right; I was overreacting... But... Still...

Still misreading my sudden silence, Sonic said, "I'm sure he'll show up. He's just a little late."

As if on cue, not a second later, the door swung open. I took a deep breath, deciding it was best just to pretend like I hadn't witnessed any bizarre incidences.... So, I put on my friendliest grin and twirled around, opening my eyes... And I immediately regretted it. My smile faded, my jaw dropped, and I felt a strong desire to snap my eyes back shut.

If it hadn't been for the fact that I knew who the guy standing in the doorway was before I even turned around, I wouldn't have recognized him... In fact, the only thing that seemed even remotely recognizable about him now was his red fur.

I was shocked by my own voice, "Kn-kn-Knuckles...?"

I stared at him, awed, unable to say anything else. Never before had I seen his skin covered in so many scars like the ones I saw now. They didn't even look like they'd been treated, still covered in dark, dried blood. His fur was more matted than I'd ever seen it, he was covered in dirt, and there were dark circles beneath his eyes...

For a split second, he turned his head, making eye contact with me. And I froze in place, despite the room's comfortable temperature. His eyes were black. Cold, hard, and far from the purple color they'd been the last time I saw him.

And I'm not sure if it was my imagination or not... But I could've sworn I felt Sonic shift uncomfortably beside me.

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What's going on? Is Amy just seeing things? Is this all in her head? And what about Knuckles' frightening appearance?

Not the best chapter, in my opinion... But I don't know. Anyway... I'll update again as soon as possible! And I promise, I'll stop switching point of views so often for the rest of the story. It's just these first few chapters that require that.


	4. Loathe Supposed

Thanks to my reviewers, once again! Here's Chapter 4! First hint of Knuxrouge-ness! Yay! And we've now switched back to Knuckles' Point of View....

Once more, I still do not own the rights to any of these characters. And I don't think I'll be getting them any time soon. So, hopefully, you'll be okay without this disclaimer for the rest of the chapters.

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**Chapter Four: Loathe Supposed**

I could think about only one thing the entire way to the party. The same thing I'd thought about when leaving the island. _I will hate you, Rouge._

I barely noticed Cream's greeting, "Hello, Mr. Knuckles." And I didn't feel the need to respond. I didn't even spare Vanilla a glance, walking right past both rabbits directly to the door. I didn't bother opening the door lightly either, swinging it open before me.

Everyone in the room seemed to turn and look at me at precisely the same second. I heard a gasp from the couch in the middle of the room, where Sonic, Tails, and Amy were all sitting together. I thought back to my shouting on the island, then I turned my gaze to Sonic. _I do hate __**you**__, Sonic._ That fact was enough to keep my resolve firm.

I scanned the room, aware that all eyes were still on me, and I saw the one I was looking for. She was standing at the back of the room, leaning against the wall, her eyes staring at me, just like everyone else's... But she looked different. She was thinner than the last time I'd seen her, almost in an unhealthy way, and she looked tired as if she hadn't slept in weeks. Her skin was paler, her hair was longer, and her eyes weren't as bright as before. I was immediately sure of one thing: **it would be easy to hate her**.

My attention was drawn away from her by a voice coming from the pink hedgehog next to Sonic. She looked shocked, watching me as if I were some sort of alien, and was stuttering to say my name, "Kn-kn-Knuckles...?" Did she not think it was me?

I shifted my gaze to her, and I noticed her stiffen. I instantly recognized the look in her eyes. Fear. She was afraid of me. Sonic moved beside her as if to give her a comforting touch, and I faced him again. He stopped suddenly, as if paralyzed by my eyes... And then I understood. It wasn't just Amy. They were all afraid of me: Amy, Tails, AND Sonic. Why? I wasn't sure. But I didn't really care. _Good. I hate them all, anyway._ And I wasn't surprised to realize that the statement was true. More hatred.

I was empowered by my new sources of hate. They made me angry. And strong. They were exactly what I needed. After all, hatred simply fuels more hate.

I took my eyes away from them all, walking to an empty wall where I stood by myself, concentrating on the aspects of Rouge that I least liked.

Cream and Vanilla walked in behind me, but, even then, the room was silent. Tails had turned the television off seconds after I'd walked through the door, and no one was talking. There were constant glances in my direction, as though they were wanting to talk to me, or at least to each other, about me. None of them said anything, though. I didn't care. It was easiest to think in silence.

_Her ears. _They were the first thing I thought of. _Her big, stupid ears that can hear everything everyone says. _I looked up, glancing at Rouge, as I raved on. _I hate those ears. And look at her eyes! They're all glassy, like.... Like... Wait, is she still looking at me? _She seemed to be. Her head was turned in my direction, and her eyes seemed to be looking at my face... But they weren't.... focused. Something about her didn't seem quite right. She looked... lost.

...That seemed to be all it took. My mind was screaming at my feet, _What are you doing?!_ They seemed to have developed a mind of their own, though. The next thing I knew, I was less than a foot away from the girl I was supposed to be hating. I was staring into her eyes, wondering what was wrong, and I was reaching out and.... taking her hand.

I didn't know what was happening. What was I doing? I had no control... Was I... comforting her?

_I don't understand! I'm supposed to hate her!_

At my touch, she suddenly appeared to come back to reality. I watched her eyes focus, locking with mine, and she looked confused... But I was certain she was nowhere near as confused as I was. _....What am I doing?_

She spoke quietly, "Hey, Knucklehead..." The sound of her voice was so familiar... Like I'd heard it every day of my life. It was soothing.

"Hey, Rouge." I was shocked at the calmness of my own voice...

I stared at her for a few seconds in silence, and she returned the stare, her eyes glistening... Then she took me by surprise, flinging her arms around my neck and pulling me into a warm embrace, burying her head in my chest. Her voice was sweet as she spoke again, "I missed you so much..."

I closed my eyes, whispering, "I missed you, too, Rouge..."

In an instant, I found that the whole past year no longer mattered. She was forgiven. Because, no matter what would happen, I suddenly knew...

_I can't hate you, Rouge... I just... can't._

And I didn't know why.

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What's going on here?! Knuckles finds, for some reason, that he can't hate Rouge? And isn't she supposed to be insane?

Updating quickly! Promise! ...Though I bet I'd update even quicker if I got some more reviews. ;)


	5. Just Mentality

Well, obviously, as you can all tell.... "Quickly" is not as quick as it used to be. :P Haha. I do have eleven reviews now, though, so I'm going to go ahead and post some more. I realize that after three or four months, you deserve more than one short chapter... But that's all this chapter can consist of. The way this story is working, both characters are just telling a small part, then the other is picking up the part, describing it in his/her own way and telling more of the story.

Thank you to all of my lovely reviewers for the eleven reviews I have now (four of them being from AmethystUchiha XD, but still...)! I appreciate your taking the time to review! Really I do.

Don't think I forgot this story. I can honestly tell you that it is going to be finished. I may even get up more than one chapter today. So smile, everyone!

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Chapter Five: Just Mentality

_.....He touched me...._

I was waiting for something.... a voice... to tell me what to say... anything, really... But then... he... he touched me... Could I...? Would I be able to I ignore him?

His eyes caught mine like a trap, entrancing me immediately, confusing me... What should I say? Anything? Should I even speak? I listened faithfully for the voices in my head... I couldn't remember a time when they hadn't helped me... Sure, I knew that they hadn't always been there... But I wasn't sure I remembered what to do without them... So, I listened...

But my head was empty.

Beautiful violet eyes seemed to be penetrating my gaze, boring into my mind... He was waiting for me to say something... What would I say without the help of the voices?

To my utter surprise, the answer to that question came easily, as I stared into Knuckles' concerned face.... Instinct, something that I hadn't felt in a long time, seemed to take over...

I was breathless as I spoke to him, my voice so quiet I wasn't sure he would even hear me, "Hey, Knucklehead...."

I gazed at him, half-expecting him to blow up, to start yelling, but his face was passive, and he answered in the calmest tone I'd ever heard him use, "Hey, Rouge."

His eyes were still locked on mine, as if he were reading my soul... So focused... On me. I couldn't remember a dream more wonderful than this moment... The one constant, who stayed on my mind, no matter how far apart we may have been.... And here he was. In front of me...

I could feel my eyes grow hot with tears, though I knew I wouldn't let them fall, and, unable to stop myself, I threw my arms around his neck, holding him tightly. I buried my muzzle in his warm, strong chest, taking his his sweet, musky scent, never wanting the moment to end, and I spoke softly, without even thinking, "I missed you so much..."

His powerful arms wrapped themselves slowly around me, returning the embrace, and he whispered, so quietly I almost didn't even hear, "I missed you, too, Rouge..."

I raised my head, staring into his face, my eyes still wet with tears of joy. He was so... beautiful, so wonderful.... so perfect. And, while everything else seemed to confuse me at that moment, there was one thing that I was absolutely sure of: I was in love with Knuckles the Echidna. And no distance, no amount of time away from him was ever going to change that... A year... A year was nothing. He was here. That's all that mattered. I could have stared at him forever... Except for the small detail that we were being watched.

I forced my gaze away from Knuckles to notice two pairs of emerald-green eyes staring at us. Sonic and Amy were watching us, their faces almost unreadable... When she caught my look, Amy quickly turned around, but Sonic just grinned, jumping up. _Oh, wonderful. The great blue idiot's decided to speak..._

Sure enough, Sonic, standing on the couch now, said loudly, "Hey, you two! No making out when we've got kids in this room!"

With that, the room was filled with noise. Amy pulled Sonic's arm, trying to get him to sit down, her voice cross as she scolded, "Sonic! Stop it! Sit back down!"

Tails, on the other hand, just looked offended. He jumped up, standing on the couch like Sonic, saying, "Hey! I'm not a kid!"

"Tails, not you, too! Both of you sit down! Right now!" Amy looked frantic, trying to get the two to behave. And, of course, they didn't seem to take notice, for both of them just began jumping up and down on the couch like a pair of out-of-control five-year olds. Vanilla and Cream smiled fondly at the hedgehog and fox, not seeming to care that their couch was now under assault by the attack feet of Blue Blur and his sidekick.

I half-expected Knuckles to pull away from me and add to the chaos, yelling at Sonic, 'We weren't making out!!' or something... Instead, the only thing that seemed to change in him was that his head moved slightly, seeming to notice Sonic and the others for the first time. Then he tensed. He didn't really try to move away from me, and he didn't let go of me. His arms were still around me. But he was rigid.

I looked up at him, wondering what was wrong, but his eyes seemed to be on Sonic and the others now. I understood. He hadn't even remembered that they were here. Of course he was embarrassed. I didn't mind. He wasn't pushing me away. That was all that mattered. That was all I cared about. He was all that I cared about. _I love you, Knuckles the Echidna._

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_o.O _What's this?_ Rouge... is.... strangely... NOT acting insane? What's going on? Everyone's really okay?! ...Or are things not what they seem?  
_


	6. Let Bleed

Alright! Two updates in one day! And I wrote them both in one day! Yay!

Thank you to my amazing reviewers; you all help me with inspiration. I'm hoping to get this finished soon, so that it will be finished before the holidays, leaving me time for a little holiday story... ^^ But I won't rush it.

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Chapter Six: Let Bleed

I hadn't really been happy. Just content... Satisfied to be held by Rouge. She seemed happy; I thought I even saw her smile. Her smile made me feel good... Not happy, but...good... I wasn't sure what the feeling was, and I didn't have time to think about it. The satisfaction vanished almost instantaneously.

"Hey, you two! No making out when we've got kids in this room!"

Rouge was looking away from me, towards the source of that voice. I looked in that direction, too, though I didn't need to. I knew the voice... I _**despised**_ that voice. I inhaled, taking a deep breath, my muscles tightening, and my eyes focused on the face of that blue hedgehog. _I hate you, Sonic._ The thought was bitter, and it was pleasant. It was not good. It was a bad, sickening feeling, but it pleased me.

I faintly heard the pink hedgehog's voice, yelling at Sonic, telling him to sit down. It did her no good. _Stupid girl. You can't control an idiot like him. You're wasting your time. I hate you, too._

Sonic began to jump on the couch, looking like an over-sized toddler. I watched him for a second, loathing him... But there was something else... An image in my head... Dark...red....blood.

I felt my face go into a completely blank state, and my vision came back to reality... Sonic. Tinted red. Blood. Hating him wasn't enough... Sonic needed to bleed. And hurt. Hurt badly.

"Knuckles...You, you're... You're bleeding!" I blinked looking down at Rouge, who was staring at me. She had removed my arms from around her, and was holding my hands, my right palm facing upward. When I looked at her, she glanced down at my palm, then back at me. Was she asking what had happened? I absentmindedly turned my eyes to the palm of my hand, where the previously white glove was stained a mixture of dark brown and bright red. Dried blood and fresh blood.

I blinked again, carelessly, not seeing what the big deal was. "What? It's just blood."

I could tell that the others were watching, too, but I couldn't tell what they thought. Didn't care, anyway. Rouge looked... hurt. "Knuckles... It's your blood... You're... bleeding. Knuckles, you're hurt!"

I heard Vanilla stand up. She was walking toward us. Her voice sounded matronly, and it annoyed me. "Oh, Knuckles, dear, you're covered in scratches. Let me see his hand, Rouge..."

Rouge watched me, the expression on her face sad... I didn't like that look. I wanted to make it go away... But I didn't know how. What was it she wanted to know? What did she want to hear? Her fingertips brushed lightly over the palm of my hand, then she held my hand out, under the light so that Vanilla could see. I heard a sharp intake of breath from both Vanilla and Sonic. There was quiet whispering from the couch.

I didn't understand. Rouge looked from Vanilla, to my hand, to the others, back to my hand, then at me... I felt terrible... But I didn't know what to say. Was it a crime? By the look on her face, I assumed it was... I'd done something wrong.

Vanilla took my hand from Rouge, carefully. She looked almost apprehensive.... "Knuckles... D-dear.... Can I remove the glove to see... What... happened?"

I heard Amy say something to Sonic... "I was wrong about Rouge, I guess... I can't believe.... Knuckles...."

I glared at them, but they didn't seem to notice. I wanted to hurt them, but I didn't move. Rouge was now just staring at me, but her eyes looked watery... Was she going to cry? I wanted to comfort her, yet, at the same time... I wanted to hurt someone... Anyone. Vanilla. She was closest. I imagined her blood, bright red... Was that wrong? To want to hurt her? What did it matter? She made Rouge cry... She would pay...

I felt a pair of arms suddenly wrap around me. I looked down at Rouge, just to have her hide her face against my chest. She tightened her hold on me as Vanilla removed the glove...

"You've been cutting yourself, Knuckles..." Vanilla was staring at my hand. I couldn't see the look on her face; I was more concerned with Rouge... I could feel her warm tears on my chest.

I wanted to make Rouge feel better, so I defended the cuts... "It was just the palm... It's not like it's suicidal..."

Vanilla suddenly began crying silently, and Sonic jumped off the couch, landing not a foot away from me. He was angry. "Oh, really, Knuckles?! Not suicidal? Why the HELL would you do something like this then?!"

I heard Cream gasp from across the room from Sonic's word choice. Stupid hedgehog... Who was he to question me?! I wanted to yell at him, but Rouge's crying held me back.

Sonic continued, "Was it for the pain?! Because you were bored?! Because you had nothing to do, nothing but that stupid emerald?! So you think pain is fun?!!! What about your friends?!!!!!"

I wasn't even sure what happened then. One second, Sonic was yelling at me... The next I had pushed Rouge away... And then Sonic was on the ground, holding his hands to his face in pain, blood running down his arm. There was shouting, crying.... And I was running to the door... No one screamed for me to come back... No one chased me. I got to the door, turned my head to look at the scene for one last second... Rouge was watching me, tears in her eyes and on her cheeks... But at that moment I knew for a fact that it wasn't Vanilla who had made her cry. It wasn't any of them.

It was me.

I turned back to the exit, and I ran. I didn't bother to close the door behind me.

The one thing I couldn't hate, the one creature I couldn't despise... But she hated me. _I'm so sorry, Rouge... I've let you down... _I ran on and on, not sure where I was going... Into a forest, miles and miles of trees, and I ran and ran, and I never stopped until I reached the cliff. The cliff was at the end of the forest, a direct cut-off to the sea. It jutted out of the forest and hung over the ocean. The drop was probably about half a mile. The elevation was pretty high. There I stopped. I looked down at my right hand, glove-less, still cut wide open... Still bleeding.

_Don't worry about me letting you down anymore Rouge. I swear that I'll never hurt you again._

And I looked over the side of the cliff.

* * *

Oh.... Wow. Didn't see that one coming, huh? And you thought Rouge was the one with the problems.... What could all this mean? Rouge went insane because she wasn't with Knuckles? But being with Knuckles has turned her normal again? ...But what of Knuckles? Cutting himself? Just what did he actually go through in that past year?! And is he seriously thinking of suicide?! Ack!!!

[You know, reviews are very inspiring... ;) They help with updating speeds.... Just sayin'....]


	7. Loveless Blame

:D I have to say I was shocked to see how many reviews I got just out of the last two chapters! I love all of you, my dear reviewers! Each and every one! :) I also see some of you have taken the time to write a review for each chapter, which is great for me. Gives me enthusiasm to see that others are excited about the story. :) Myself, I'm quite getting excited...

Oh, the excitement... What will happen...?

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Chapter Seven: Loveless Blame

"Knuckles... You, you're... You're bleeding!" I was staring at the palm of his hand, my thoughts racing. The only reason I'd even noticed the blood was that I had felt the warm, thick liquid dripping down my back. The blood hadn't been there at first. I was sure of that. It was as Sonic had spoken a moment earlier that I felt Knuckles' grip tighten around me. When he looked away, towards Sonic... That's when I felt it.

Knuckles looked at me when I spoke. I nodded at his hand then looked back up at him... What had happened? ...He looked down at his palm, then looked back up at me. His voice wasn't like it had been moments before. He spoke in a cold tone, almost like he just didn't care, "What? It's just blood."

_Just.... blood?_ How could he say that? I could tell my voice was shaking, "Knuckles... It's your blood... You're... bleeding." I choked mid-sentence... He was just watching me, emotionless. Didn't he care?! "Knuckles, you're hurt!"

It was then that I noticed the change in his face. His eyes were not the same vivid purple I was sure they'd been minutes ago. They were black, hard, and frigid. He looked... lost in an ocean of emotionless... Gone... Separated from the rest of the world... And it was then I knew. Vaguely, in the background, I heard the voice of Vanilla, saying something along the lines of, "Oh, Knuckles, dear, you're covered in scratches..." I wasn't sure if that was all she said... But that's all I heard. His face, devoid of even the slightest bit of caring, told me everything. I swept my fingers over his hand slowly, not wanting to look down again at the bloody palm. I didn't need to. His left hand was the only proof I needed. Blood seeping into the cloth of his left-hand glove, only on the spikes of his fist. From experience with the government, I knew well what a knife looked like after a slash through flesh.... His hand-spikes looked the same.

I wasn't aware of the others, though I knew they were still talking. I glanced at Vanilla, the others, then at Knuckles. I heard Vanilla say something, but her voice was meek, and I couldn't quite hear it. I just stared at Knuckles. And I began to cry. I hugged Knuckles closely, burying my tears in his chest. He didn't try to move away, but he didn't try to comfort me either. There was an eerie sort of silence to the room.

Vanilla spoke quietly, almost as if she couldn't even believe what she was about to say. "You've been cutting yourself, Knuckles..."

I cried harder.

Knuckles' voice had a hollow tone. ""It was just the palm. It's not like it's suicidal."

I could hear no other words. My heart had stopped. I felt numb. _Not suicidal... Not to kill yourself, Knuckles... No... Just to cause enough pain to make you wish you were dead..._ I heard Sonic yelling... Then I was shoved away. There was a crash, and Knuckles was at the door. He looked back at me for a split second. _Knuckie... Wait... I understand..._

But he was gone.

I was aware of shouting only after Knuckles left. Amy, Tails, Vanilla, and Cream were all hovering over Sonic, who was lying still on the ground. He looked like he had a broken nose, blood dripping all around him. Amy was shouting for him to wake up, and Tails was trying to convince her that his hero had only passed out; he was still alive. It took Amy a few moments to calm down, but when she did Vanilla and Cream walked over to me.

I hadn't bothered moving. I could tell nothing was broken. He hadn't meant to hurt me...

Vanilla had the look of a worried mother, sweetly asking, "Rouge, dear, are you alright?"

I nodded, slowly getting to my feet. "I'm fine, Vanilla." It wasn't completely a lie. At least I knew I was better off than Knuckles.... Where was he? I needed to find him...

Amy shouted, standing up, swinging her hammer wildly, "KNUCKLES IS GOING TO PAY FOR THIS!!!"

Tails ducked, dodging a swing of the giant mallet, frantically yelling, "Amy! Calm down! You can't hurt Knuckles!"

Amy turned to Tails, her face dangerous, "I CAN, AND I WILL!!!"

"....A-amy?" I watched Sonic wake up, and Amy's face immediately melted into a mask of compassion.

"Sonic, you're alright.... I was so worried." She smiled, her voice honey-coated.

Sonic sat up, his hand covering his nose, his voice the usual, almost comical tone. "Hey, you know I'd never leave you alone, Amy."

Her smile widened, and she hugged him...

"No, Sonic, you'd never leave Amy alone, would you?" I could feel my voice crack, breaking beneath my words. They all turned to stare at me.

Sonic looked concerned, quietly questioning... "Rouge, what are you talking about...?"

I shook my head, repeating, "You'd never leave Amy alone... I'll bet you wouldn't leave Tails, either... No, no one you care about..." Everyone was silent. I looked at my hand, staring at the fingertips of my gloves where Knuckles' blood had stained.... I swallowed hard, my gaze moving back to the blue hedgehog's bright green eyes. "And yet... You left Knuckles alone, didn't you?" I knew my voice was harsh. It didn't matter. They all stared at me. No one said a thing. That was enough of an answer. "Did any one of you ever go see him?!" Nothing. I felt disgusted... These creatures called themselves his friends... "Did any of you go visit him?!"

I turned on my heel, ready to walk out the door, when the sound of a single voice stopped me in my tracks. Two words.

From directly behind me, Amy asked, just loudly enough for everyone in the entire room to hear....

"Did _**you**_?"

I froze where I stood. Mostly because she was right. This was my fault, too. I drove Knuckles to this. He never was one to understand emotions... Nothing but anger. Emotional pain was not something he could cope with. To feel such separation... To feel so... Unloved... He needed something he could see... To understand... Physical pain... Blood. He needed the blood to understand because that's the only thing he knew... And no one took the time to explain anything else to him...

_Knuckles... I'm so sorry... Where are you? ...I promise... Please... Come back... I promise I'll never leave you alone again... _

_I love you... _

It didn't matter. He couldn't hear me. And I had no idea where he was... The look on his face when I last saw him was haunting my mind... Again, I looked at my blood-covered fingertips...

_Please... Please... Let him be okay..._

_

* * *

_

Hmm.... Interesting, maybe? Conflict, self-blame... But during all of this arguing and helplessness... Knuckles is elsewhere, ready to jump off a cliff... What's going to happen to him?! What if it's too late?! What if he's already jumped?!


	8. Far Gone

Thirty reviews, now. :) Thank you for taking time to give me some feedback, everyone! I really am glad that you're taking the time to review. It helps me quite a bit. :) Plus, when I get more reviews I feel that more people are waiting for the story to be finished, so I feel more inclined to work on it. ;)

Now, then... Let's take a little spin on story-time, shall we? It's time for our next chapter... (I'd add an introduction, since this one is a tad different... But I'm certain you all will be able to figure that out on your own quite quickly. [Plus, this is a bit of an intro, isn't it? :/ Oh, well.])

Yes, everyone, this is the title chapter.

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Chapter Eight: Far Gone

_Hmph. What irony. The single-most idiotic group of creatures I've ever met, and they are the people who run this country. _I stood on the outskirts of the city, facing away from the lights, my eyes looking out towards the forest beyond. I never was much one for nature, but I was sick of the constant noise of the city.

It didn't look as if there would be a moon tonight. It was hard to tell before dark: ever since the Doctor's attack on the moon sometime ago, the giant orb couldn't stay stable. The phases of the moon changed randomly. I didn't mind; I didn't need to see it every night. I didn't need any more reminders of my failure as the Ultimate Lifeform.

Faintly, I heard sirens from behind me in the city streets. They got louder as the seconds passed... I glanced at the blood-red sky for a moment before making up my mind to skip work for the rest of the night. They could deal with it. What would they do? Fire me? Send me to prison? No, they were self-respecting enough to know better than to agitate me. Besides, something told me that I was needed elsewhere this evening. I had no idea where, but I knew that it was important I follow the feeling. So, as the sirens grew louder, I turned my head from the sky, and I ran away from the city.

The forest was a dark place. That was alright. Dark places didn't really bother me. It was the noise that irritated me. Noises would be more accurate, really. The city was a constant drone of noise that never really quieted. It was easy to get used to. Nature has too many sounds. Whether it's tiny squirrels, birds, or any of those other little woodland creatures. Everything has its own sound, and none of it blends together. Direct formula for a severe migraine.

I stopped in a clearing in the trees. There was a small river running through the clearing, and I stopped, leaning on one of the large rocks beside the edge. As before, I turned my gaze to the sky. The angry red had disappeared, fading into the black that was night.

I leaned my head back against the rock, closing my eyes. _Maria... I'm sorry... _The thoughts weren't new. I apologized to Maria every night for what happened... Not only did I let her die... I ruined her legacy... Her words... "_Give them a chance to be happy"... I've failed you, Maria..._

A cool breeze blew against my face. It smelled of salt and ocean spray. I stood up, having enough of the forest. I would find the coast and make my way back to the city. Whatever feeling I thought I had before must have been delusional. There was nothing out here. I walked, not in a particular hurry. There was nothing much new to think about. I wondered how far away from the city I was now. Maybe fifteen, thirty, or fifty miles away. I wasn't quite sure. The stupid trees looked so much the same it was hard to keep track of how far I'd traveled.

The forest grew quieter the darker it got. For a short while, it seemed everything went to sleep... Then the crickets began their incessant chirping. Conveniently, I managed to reach the shore just in time to escape another terrible headache. There was no real way to reach the ocean from the "shore". The edge of the forest was a drop-off into the ocean, which was probably almost a thousand feet down. Probably why most people stayed in the city... That and to not have to deal with all of this "nature"....

The city couldn't be seen from where I was. I must have gone farther than fifteen miles. Still, I'd been traveling in one direction, so all I needed to do was turn and go back. I almost started to go back into the forest so that I could retrace my path exactly. But then something reminded me of those crickets... In surround sound... I thought better of it. I could follow the drop-off all the way back to the city. At least then there would only be partial sound...

After about twenty minutes of walking along the edge I was regretting not going through the forest. _Stupid birds..._ _Are seagulls even supposed to be out at night?_ The ocean-loving birds had been flying all around, their throaty voices loud and obnoxious. To my left was the sound of the ocean and the noise of the birds, to my right was the chirping of the crickets from the forest. _If this noise doesn't let up soon, I'm running back..._ Of course, just as I thought that, the volume level skyrocketed.

There seemed to be some congregation of gulls on some rocks below a section of the cliff. The sound was more than agitating. I was tempted to break into a run then, but something stopped me. Why were so many birds in one place? It seemed like all the birds that had been passing were meeting at the bottom of that part of the cliff. I wasn't naturally curious, but I felt driven to figure out what was going on. Something didn't feel right.

I checked for the Chaos Emerald, which I always carried with me. In case I slipped I would need to be able to transport myself to safety in a second. I walked readily to the edge of the cliff, looking downward. There must have been a hundred of those birds... For a moment all I saw was a cloud of white beneath the dark sky. It wasn't until after a few of the birds moved that I could see what the birds were gathered around. Some sort of carcass. I couldn't tell anything from where I was. Too many birds in the way. Besides, it was barely a speck from so far up... Most likely some kid that got too close to the edge... Still, for some reason... I felt I had an obligation to the body. I closed my eyes. _If Maria died like this I wouldn't let these birds consume her... I would make sure she were properly taken care of..._ I knew that was true... For all I knew, this person could be someone else's Maria... And Maria wanted happiness for everyone... She said that's why I was created...

I opened my eyes, taking out my Chaos Emerald, and I imagined landing on a rock at the bottom of the drop, next to the body. "CHAOS CONTROL!!!" A bright flash of green light consumed me, then, for a split second, I was consumed in total blackness. When vision returned I had landed on a rock at the bottom of the cliff. The bright green flash of light had been enough to scare off most of the seabirds. My sudden appearance scared off the rest.

The darkness made it difficult to see the corpse... I was surprised to see that it wasn't floating on its stomach; however, due to the low level of water near the shore, it made sense. Whoever the creature was must have fallen directly off the cliff... There was blood on the rocks all around. The water around me was thick with blood, and I wondered how long the body had been there. Not long, I guessed. Maybe that was the feeling I'd had earlier. I was needed here to recover the body.

I jumped from the rock I was on, landing on my feet easily in the ankle-deep water. The water had a foul smell, and so did the corpse... I stepped closer to the body, trying to see better, but it was almost impossible to see anything under the shadow of the cliff...

"CHAOS CONTROL!!!" When the light from the emerald dissipated, I was in a place with light. Not much of it, but there was faint light. I put away the Chaos Emerald, looking around my apartment for the light switch. The body had transported with me; I nearly tripped over it on the way to find the light. Still, it wasn't too hard to find. Most of the time I was okay with the faint light, anyway. I preferred darkness.

The room illuminated in fluorescent light when I flipped the switch, and I turned back around, looking for the body. It definitely wasn't just some child... Most of the fur was matted in bloody clumps all over... There were cuts all over the carcass, most still bleeding, and there were some gashes I assumed came from the gulls which had surrounded it... But then there were older scratches and slices in the skin, which were covered in dark, dried blood.... It was impossible to get a definite fur color, though I was guessing it was a warm color... Brown, orange, red, or some color in between. Anything that might have been fur seemed to be stained in blood...

_There's no way all of this came from that fall.... _I wondered silently what the creature's story was. He looked as though he'd been through a lot of pain... Even before the fall. And he looked young, too. Late teens or early twenties, I guessed. Not really intending to, I whispered quietly, "Pathetic soul."

I walked away from the body, getting a towel from the bathroom and adding water to it in the sink. I wanted to identify the creature, at least. Fur color, eye color, skin tone... Things that would help his family recognize him. I returned to the creature and attempted to get a look at his face. Long, quill-like locks were twined together blocking any view of the creature's muzzle and eyes, so I had to begin untangling them before I could see the face. At least I knew he must have been some sort of quilled creature... The quills were too long for most hedgehogs, so I assumed the species was porcupine.

It was about ten minutes before I got the quills to separate. The fur color was definitely red. Most of what had given it the brown color had come off when washed with water. I examined the creature's face. It was the one part of the body not covered in cuts and gashes, it seemed. The creature's muzzle was fairly tanned despite its state of death... I opened the eyelid over the creature's left eye. The iris stared back at me in a dark, violet color. _No..._

Violet eyes... Red fur... I had thought something about the face was familiar... _Knuckles the Echidna... _"It reached you, too, I see..." I remembered the last time I saw Rouge... A few months of isolation to government work, and she went insane... By the time I'd realized she was changing, it was too late. She was so far from the world that nothing could bring her back. She disappeared. I'd never found out a definite reason why, but from what she left behind, I could tell clearly that the reason was Knuckles the Echidna.

I looked down at the eye which I still held open. ..._Love must come straight from the depths of Erebus... _The eye flickered to the left... I blinked.

The eye shifted to the right. I backed up, letting go. _No_.... _He can't possibly have survived.... _ But the impossible didn't stop his eyelids from slowly opening on their own, and his chest suddenly expanded as he took a breath. _...This can't be happening..._ He didn't sit up. His open eyes were looking in my direction... But there was something about them...

It felt odd to be speaking to him; I couldn't remember ever speaking a word to him when he was in a stable condition, let alone in a state like this... Still, I felt I needed to say something. "Are you alright?"

His eyes stared straight through me. His voice sounded pathetic, not a whimper or cry, but it was a voice he'd never spoken with before, "Rouge... I'm sorry... I tried... It didn't work... It's my stupid job... I can't.... go....."

'Stupid job'? From all I could remember that echidna had been on the verge of obsession with his 'job'. Guardian of the Master Emerald. And what did he mean he 'tried'? ...

_I don't believe this... _I stood up slowly, and he continued to stare into the space where I had been... I moved, but he still stared into nothing. I ran to the door, down the hallway, out into the streets of the city... To the coast, staring off into the distance... I looked to the sky... But nothing was there. Angel Island was not in the air: the Master Emerald must be gone.

I walked back to my apartment slowly. What was I supposed to do, anyway? Help him? I pondered the thought. Some strange feeling sent me out into the forest tonight. Coincidence that I would find the echidna injured? No, there were no coincidences.

_Maria... _

I entered the door quietly, looking to the place where he had been lying, motionless on the floor. He was gone. I cursed to myself silently and began searching. I found him in the kitchen, lying on the ground next to a steak knife. A slash across his wrist was seeping fresh blood. _Oh my Maria... What have you gotten me into...?_

I stood, staring at him for several seconds with no idea what to do. I never dealt with others when I could prevent it... I cursed again. _I... need help._

A cold wind blew in through a window I'd left open, blowing across the counter, flipping open the pages of a telephone book... The page stopped on an ad... I stood there for another moment, feeling like I had no other choice. I looked at the ad. _"Chaotix Detective Agency".... _I didn't understand the connection. I was sure I didn't need the help of detectives... I glanced back down at the body, which looked lifeless, though I knew he wasn't dead. If he hadn't died from that fall, I doubted anything was going to kill him anytime soon... Still... If I was going to help him... I looked back to the ad. _I suppose it couldn't hurt to try... I hope you know what you're doing, Maria..._

I walkedto the phone hanging on the wall, and I carefully dialed the number on the ad. I held the receiver to my head, staring down at the echidna on the floor. And I waited.

_

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_

:O Knuckles has definitely gone over the edge... (Terrible, morbid pun, isn't it? That's my second one. XD If you didn't catch the first, it was the fact that my real cliff-hanger chapter was of Knuckles about to jump off an actual cliff... Yes, it was unspoken, but it was intended. Terrible, I know. But still...)

Is Knuckles too far gone to come back?! Or will he be able to be helped? Maybe with the assistance of Shadow and the Chaotix... Can he come to his senses? Meanwhile, what's going to happen with Rouge? Will she look for him? How will she find him? Why can't Knuckles even successfully kill himself? So many questions....

Reviews are appreciated. ;) As I've said before, the more reviews, the faster I'll update... ;)


	9. Reach Out

I seem to be getting into the habit of almost weekly updates... Sorry 'bout that. I'd update more often if my life were a bit less chaotic... Homework and whatnot. Still, weekly updates are fairly reasonable, in my opinion. (though I'm a bit excited for the next one, so it may be earlier....)

:D Up to forty-one reviews! Yay you, reviewers! You guys are amazing!

Haha.... Now, as for this chapter.... Well, as you'll note, I did indeed say in my intro to last chapter that it was a bit 'different'.... Well..... Haha. Guess you guys had better be prepared for a dramatic change, then! We're about to go from the haunted mind of Shadow the Hedgehog to a place quite a distance away....

I apologize ahead of time for the content of this chapter... XD Oh, who'm I kidding? I don't, really. This one's just kinda here for flow into the next part of the story. Personally, I find it quite entertaining, though. I hope you do, too!

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Chapter Nine: Reach Out

Bzzzz.......

Bzzzz, bzzz......

Bzzzz.....bzzz, bzzzzz...... Bzzz, bzzz, bzzz....

"SHUT UP, CHARMY! CAN'T YOU SEE I'M BUSY?"

"Don't you mean 'BUZZY'? Hehe!" I giggled maniacally at the look at Vector's face. I sure stumped him! "Besides, Vector, listening to music doesn't count as 'busy', it counts as lazy! Lazy, lazy, lazy, lazy, lazy~!"

He lunged toward me, but I dodged him. Vector's just too slow for me! He growled, "Hold still, and stop that buzzing!" He tried to catch me again, and I ducked, speeding my way around him! Vector's just too slow! I giggled.... Then was caught by the arm.

Vector's too slow; Espio's not.

Disappointment. I struggled to get free, but Espio held me still. I whined, "Espio! Let me go! Lemme go, lemme go, lemme go, lemme~...."

"Calm yourself, Charmy." He let go of my arm then turned to glance at Vector. "The buzzing has stopped."

Vector sat back down at his desk, his voice a little less yell-y... _Is that a word? Hehe, oh, well!_ "Yeah, well it better not start again, Charmy."

"But that wasn't me! I wasn't buzzing! Honest!" Really! I hadn't been. Bee's honor!

Vector yawned. "Sure, Charmy. It was probably just those little invisible, trouble-making bees that always are at fault for everything..."

"Or your phone...." Vector and I both looked at Espio, who was holding Vector's cell phone in his hand.

"Hey, where'd you find that, Espio? I've been looking for that thing all over the place." No, he hadn't... Vector just sat at the desk all day listening to music.... Vector opened one of the desk drawers and startled fumbling for a pen before looking back up at Espio. "Well, Espio? What's it say?"

Espio blinked, standing there as calm as ever. "It says 'Missed Call'."

My head turned back to Vector who snorted, "Check the message, Espio!"

Back to Espio, who kept a level stare and didn't move an inch. "There is no message, Vector."

Knock, knock, knock.... _Huh? _I looked at the door.

Vector raised his voice, "Whaddaya mean there's no message?!"

"Simply that there is no message."

Knock, knock, knock....

"OF COURSE THERE'S A MESSAGE, ESPIO!! YA JUST GOTTA OPEN THE PHONE AND KNOW WHERE TO LOOK FOR IT!"

"There is no message."

Ah, well. Guess neither of them were getting the door. I flew over to the old door, moving some stuff out of the way so it would open.

"DO I HAVE TO DO **EVERYTHING** AROUND HERE?! GIVE _**ME**_ THE PHONE, ESPIO!"

I swung open the door. "...Hey, don't I know you from somewhere?" I could hear Espio's calm answers and Vector's less-than-calm yells and demands behind me. Just in front of me stood a black hedgehog with red streaks in his hair... He looked familiar.... "What's your name?"

The hedgehog looked at me with that same look Vector gives me on days when I have too much candy... I believe Espio says it's called 'exapserated'? I dunno. He just sorta stared at me with that look for a minute, like he was waiting for me to....

"Hey, wait a second..." I looked down to see that he was carrying someone in his arms... Not just someone, either... He was bright red with dreads, and I was pretty sure I knew who he was, even if I couldn't remember the hedgehog.... _Hey, wait a minute...._ I grinned at the hedgehog. "You're name's Shadow the Hedgehog! I know you!"

I noticed that the yelling and talking from inside had stopped, and Vector and Espio were both looking toward the door, now. They were quiet. I wondered why. Shadow just looked at me with that same look. I looked back down at the red figure. "Um, why you carrying Knuckles around like that?" He just stared at me. "....It's.... kinda weird."

Vector jumped up from the desk, rushing over and clamping a hand over my mouth. He looked at Shadow with an almost worried look, "Come on in." Vector shut the door as Shadow walked in carrying Knuckles, who seemed to be sleeping.

I tried to yell, "Vector, let me go!", but it came out more like, "Meh....er.... eh....ee....oh...!"... He still hadn't taken his hand off of my mouth. Shadow was silent. He walked into the office, stopping near a wall, where he stood. I saw him glance down at Knuckles then look at Espio and Vector.

Espio seemed to be intently focused on Knuckles. I dunno. Guess he just couldn't believe that...

I think Vector and I were both on the same page. I saw him look from Shadow to Knuckles, back to Shadow, then to Espio, trying to see what he thought of the matter. Espio was just staring... I followed his gaze... It reached Knuckles' right hand, which Shadow had covered in his own. Vector and I exchanged a look, and he released me.

I had to break the silence, of course; it couldn't last forever... "Well.... This is _**weird**_...."

Vector scratched his head, looking awkward. "Uh... So... You're.... uh....." He paused, taking a deep breath, before seeming to regain his voice. ".....Uh, so.... How did this happen, exactly?" He was looking from Shadow's face to his hand, which hadn't moved from Knuckles'.

Shadow didn't notice the awkwardness, I guess. His voice was quiet, but, then again, I guess he wasn't really much of a talker, anyway. "I don't know entirely. It's difficult to explain. For some reason I felt that I should go out for a run, and that was when I found him."

Espio looked a bit concerned, and he moved his gaze from their hands to Shadow's face, his voice still ridiculously calm, "His wrist?"

I had no idea what Espio was talkin' about... Then again, I wasn't sure I wanted to know. Vector's face kinda mirrored my thoughts. Shadow didn't respond to Espio as far as I could tell, but he did speak again. "There's something that you should know..." I saw him glance at me, then he continued, "Maybe the bee should leave the room..."

Vector just kinda looked like a big mass of disbelief, and his voice was a bit off, "Uh, I don't think that will be necessary... I think we're all pretty clear on what's goin' on..."

Shadow looked a little surprised. "You are?"

Espio nodded solemnly. Wasn't sure why. Oh, well, guessed it was just because he was a solemn kinda guy.

I saw Shadow's arm relax, and his voice reverted back to it's usual tone. "I wasn't aware that it was that obvious."

I cleared my throat, feeling the need to speak since no one else was. Plus, I was kinda weirded out. "Wow. I just didn't know Knuckles rolled that way..."

Shadow froze instantly -- I don't think he was even breathing... I think I actually saw his eye begin to twitch...

Espio was staring at me. _Oh no, not that 'exapserated' look again.... _

_

* * *

_

_...W-o-w...... _That seems to be the fitting word. Now, not sure, but I'm probably going to have to explain some stuff here, just to make sure everyone gets it. (Yeah, Charmy's mind can be a bit tough to figure out.)

Alright. Well... First off, of course, by 'exapserated', he's referring to the word 'exasperated'. (Charmy's shown several times that he's a very smart kid, and he actually does have some good vocabulary thanks, probably, to Espio, but it's a pretty big word for a kid, so I figured he'd be a little bit off on the word.)

Now... To the part that may need more explaining... Well, for those who didn't get it, Espio noticed Shadow's strange behavior involving Knuckles' "hand"... And, for those who caught it, that was indeed Knuckles' right hand, which, for those who were paying close attention earlier in the story, is, in fact, the hand that he had been cutting. When Shadow recommended that Charmy "leave the room", he was trying to be as considerate as Shadow _can_ be, trying not to scar the kid for life. And, obviously, to Vector and Charmy... Well, the behavior looked a little... different....

Wow. Again. Haha. I find Charmy's mind quite amusing. It must be a fun place to be... Or should I say, "It must 'bee' a fun place to 'bee'"? Hahaha..... Oh, darn it, there I go again with puns....

Shadow's come to the Chaotix, with Knuckles, who is still passed out.... Will they be able to understand the situation and help? ...And, meanwhile.... Where is Rouge while all of this is happening?

Remember: reviews. Love them. Help me write. Give me inspiration. They're really wonderful things. ;D


	10. So Apart

Ah, finally.... The chapters have reached double digits! Yay! Everyone celebrate! Isn't it amazing?! I can hardly believe it myself....

Haha, now, onto a more serious note.... As usual, I'd like to thank all of my reviewers!

And once again, we're taking on another point of view. Let us see where this takes us... Shall we? Into the mind of....

* * *

Chapter Ten: So Apart

I stared at the hand of Shadow the Hedgehog in silence. The way the hedgehog positioned his hand over Knuckles' palm alarmed me... But what alarmed me more than that was the fact that the palm of Knuckles' hand was bare... He never removed his gloves...

The black hedgehog was standing several feet away, but there was the distinct smell of blood coming from in his direction....Not from him, though.... The smell was emanating from the lifeless body of Knuckles... I had never seen Knuckles in such bad shape before... From a distance, he appeared to just be sleeping, I suppose.... But from where I stood, combined with my observational skills, I could see the cuts and blood-matted fur that stained his normally powerful appearance... And he was passed out -- not sleeping...

I had often expected it before... After all, it is inevitable that every great creature must fall... Knuckles had always managed to stay so strong... I suppose I just came to believe that maybe there were exceptions to the rule... Perhaps some could stay strong.... forever. Times change, though, and we change with them... Forever.... Forever has become just a word, rather than a measure of eternity... Those who stay strong "forever"... Are just the ones who never fall before their friends... And I am sure it is quite easy for someone to fall when no one else is looking... When that someone lives completely alone... When there is no company of another creature for miles, other than the small wild animals that cannot speak... When that someone, without a doubt, feels that no one cares for him... And he must have plenty of time to feel worthless, considering the amount of time he has to do nothing but sit and think...

Charmy's voice cut through the quiet of the room like a knife as he said, "Well.... This is weird..."

I could hardly hear the bee's words, too focused... _Like a knife...? _My own comparison set off a new series of thoughts... None of which were pleasant... I looked up from the hands to study Shadow's face. I didn't know the hedgehog very well, but he seemed to have an almost morbid expression... Surely that isn't normal...

Vector was as confused as ever, stuttering loudly, "Uh... So... You're.... uh......Uh, so.... How did this happen, exactly?"

Shadow's dark red eyes moved to look at the crocodile. The hedgehog's voice was quiet. "I don't know entirely. It's difficult to explain. For some reason I felt that I should go out for a run, and that was when I found him." ...._Out for a run? ....Then... Knuckles wasn't found on Angel Island...? _As the hedgehog spoke, I saw his hand move the slightest bit... Just enough so that I could see what was definitely blood, and not all of it was dry...

I again looked to the black hedgehog's face. There was one thing that worried me... That blood... Was it coming from Knuckles' palm, or.... "His wrist?" My voice didn't change from the usual tone. It rarely does.

Shadow did not respond. He did not even look at me. Instead, he spoke in the same voice as before, in a tone as dark as it was calm. "There's something that you should know... Maybe the bee should leave the room..." I understood. The hedgehog did not believe that Charmy needed to see or know about this...

Vector coughed, sounding like he was choking while replying, "Uh, I don't think that will be necessary... I think we're all pretty clear on what's goin' on..."

I saw the ebony hedgehog blink. "...You are?" I closed my eyes, my head lowering a bit. Vector and Charmy did not need to know this... No one should know Knuckles like this...

Shadow's voice was marginally less quiet, and he said, "I wasn't aware that it was that obvious."

Then I heard Charmy's voice... "Wow. I just didn't know Knuckles rolled that way..." And suddenly the room became a very quiet place.

I turned to stare at the bee in a mixture of disbelief and horror.... What on Mobiuswas Vector teaching that child? I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath for a moment... That moment may have been too long...

".....Hey, uh, Charm.... Maybe you should go to the park or something...." It was Vector's voice... I opened my eyes. Vector looked a little frightened, and he and Charmy were much closer to the door than they had been before. Shadow was standing as still as a marble statue... The only movement came from his left eye which was twitching violently... There was a strange, green glow coming from him... He did not look happy.

I took the opportunity. Turning to Vector, I said quickly, "Perhaps you should take Charmy over to the Rabbits' for a bit." Vector would be glad to take any opportunity to go see Vanilla. They would both be gone for a while. It would work well.

Just as I had anticipated, Vector and Charmy were out the door in seconds.

"What happened to him?" I stared at Shadow, who had barely regained his composure. He looked back at me, seeming almost alarmed by my tone, which had gotten considerably less calm.

The green glow of Chaos energy gently disappeared from around him... His eyes went from my face down to his hand... He said, "I don't know what happened..." The hedgehog's hand moved, and I saw a long, hideous gash down the middle of Knuckles' palm... And a trail of blood coming from what I could only assume was a slice on the wrist... "I found him at the bottom of a cliff..." Shadow paused before deciding, apparently, to tell me. "He was trying to kill himself."

I closed my eyes again. The words stung.... _"He was trying to kill himself."....Then it is true... I've failed you... my friend...._ I drew another breath, whispering, "Then he's gone..."

"No. He's not." The hedgehog's voice was firm. He sounded... angry that I had said my words.... "He's going to be alright. He will live."

"Knuckles is strong. But how much blood has he lost? Too much..." I swallowed hard. My own words hurt me... _I'm a failure...._

"I came here because I thought someone could help." He glared at me, bright red eyes blazing, matching the blood on Knuckles' hand. "If you won't help me... Then I'll take him to someone who will." He stalked toward the door...

I do not anger easily. But the fact of some near-stranger telling me that I am not trying to help my friend... "Do you even know Knuckles?!"

He stopped. "Do _you_?"

"I've known him since we were both young."

"Then maybe you used to know him. But you don't anymore. Time changes us all." ....Weren't those my own words...? What was he using them for? "Sometimes... We lose people. Our actions take us away from the people we care most about..." ....Was he right?

I started to ask him something else.... When I noticed that he had disappeared. I ran to the door, and opened, just in time to see a green flash of light. And then nothing. _Shadow the Hedgehog... I don't even know you... Why are doing this?_

Vector and Charmy wouldn't be back for several hours. I had time. I needed to get to Angel Island. I didn't want to believe that I'd lost the only friendship I'd ever really known. And there was only one being I could speak to, other than Knuckles himself, who could clarify that I still knew him... Maybe she'd know how to help him... Maybe she'd know how to help me help him...

But how would I get to the island? ...The only one I could think of with a plane was the young, twin-tailed fox who allied himself Sonic... His workshop was somewhere in Mystic Ruins... Perhaps he wouldn't mind if I borrowed it...

* * *

Planning on "borrowing" that ship, Espio? Haha. Sorry this chapter took so long (eh, a week and a half isn't that bad, really)... But it kinda gives an interesting idea to this story... Espio and Knuckles were good friends when they were younger? Hmm... What is this? And Shadow's become quite ready to help Knuckles come back to a sane state, hasn't he? All these questions.... And more, I'm sure. Though... You also have to wonder... Rouge has been out of the story for a little while now, hasn't she?

Haha. Started to put R&R (Read & Review).... But then I thought about it, and, well, unless you're just one of those backwards readers who reads the bottom part first.... Haha, you've probably already read this, right? XD So, I figured that doesn't much make sense. Ha, oh, well. Just review then! (Unless you read the bottom part first, of course. Not trying to alienate any of my backwards readers out there! You're all amazing!)


	11. Empty Hope

Love all of you reviewers! Appreciate the reviews!

Don't have much time for a beginning note tonight, so let's get on with the story, shall we?

* * *

Chapter Eleven: Empty Hope

_He's here.... He __**has**__ to be here...._ I breathed heavily, continuing to move despite the aching pain in my feet... I pushed through the trees, trying to force myself to move faster... _What if it's too late...? _I drew in a deep breath, only to have my throat burn from the frigid air of the island. For it to be late summer, the atmosphere of the island was terribly cold...

_It's almost like the island can tell... _That was an odd thought... An island able to reflect the heart and soul of its guardian... But I didn't exactly doubt it... I couldn't doubt it. The thought seemed to show a glimmer of hope... Yes, the island was cold... But it was also alive. And I needed that desperately.... I needed Knuckles to be alive...

A freezing wind blasted through the trees in a sudden gust, and, taken by surprise, I tripped over an exposed tree root. I landed on my wings and winced in pain... _What was that?_ I strained my ears and almost thought I could hear some sort of an engine beyond the trees... _Who would be coming here?_ I slowly got to my knees, thinking... The engine cut off. _Who do I know that owns a plane? _I closed my eyes.... Then the answer hit me. _Tails._ No... There was no way I was going to let them hurt Knuckles. I reached into the side of my right boot, gently withdrawing a short dagger formerly known as "The Backup Plan".... Just in case I did find Knuckles dead...

_No. _ I shook my head fiercely. _He's not dead. And anyone who tries to change that... Can go through me before even touching him. _I pushed myself to my feet, running as quickly as I could through the trees... I knew exactly where the passengers on that plane were heading. The same place I was. But I was going to make sure I got there first. _You won't harm him..._

The forest seemed to be against me. I hadn't moved three yards before I was again tripped. I dropped the dagger as I fell, and it landed .among some grass. I took a few sharp breaths, struggling to get up again. It was impossible to see past the trees ahead, but I knew that I was only a few yards away from the clearing in which the shrine was located. There was a thick treeline only feet away, and all I would just need to pass through there. I could've flown... But the whole flight to the island had pretty much ruined my already injured wings... So, instead, I got to my feet, picked up the dagger and continued to run towards the shrine. I weaved between the trees, then stopped, listening.

_Hmm... That's odd... No voices... Sonic and his little friends can hardly ever shut up... _Slowly, I moved out into the clearing. In front of me stood the tall, marble shrine. The shrine was surrounded by the ruin of the structures that used to stand with it, long ago... Probably thousands of years ago... I silently wondered what the shrine looked like when it was new... Better than it looked now, I was sure...

I scanned the shrine, my gazing moving up the many, many stairs until I could see the top of the shrine, which looked fairly small from where I was... My eyes went wide. _Where's the Master Emerald?!_

I left the shadows of the trees, racing out towards the steps of the shrine. It was just before my feet hit the marble that I noticed a figure standing at the top of the shrine. All I could see was purple. And I didn't recognize the figure.

The island was completely quiet. My voice didn't have to be loud to be heard, which was good because I was quivering when I spoke. "Who are you?!"

The figure didn't jump or seem startled. It turned to the side slightly, and I saw it's head look at me. I blinked.... And when I opened my eyes it was gone. _WHAT?! ...No, I couldn't have imagined it... No..._ I put my hands to my head, hoping that, somehow, that would pull me back... _No... I can't be losing it again... No, it's only been a day! I have to find Knuckles... _

I was jerked from my thoughts as I was suddenly shoved backwards, onto the marble steps of the shrine, and the knife flew from my hands, clattering down the steps, no longer of any use to me. I found myself staring into a pair of yellow eyes, blazing with conviction.

The creature's voice was deep and calculating, but it hissed at me, "What have you done with the Master Emerald?"

I narrowed my eyes, "ME?! What have YOU done with the Master Emerald?! And where's Knuckles?!"

The creature stared at me for a second. He appeared to be some sort of reptile. Then he spoke again. "You're looking for Knuckles?"

"Yes, I've been looking for him everywhere! Who are you?!"

He took a step back, his voice much calmer and natural-sounding, "Espio the Chameleon." _Chameleon... _I felt a surge of relief._ I'm alright, then... Not imagining things..._

I slowly stood up. "Do you know Knuckles?"

The question disturbed him, apparently. He turned away, and his voice was still calm but a bit quieter than before, "I... believe so."

"You _believe_ you know him?"

He shook his head. "It doesn't make sense, I know. It is not meant to be explained."

I watched the strange chameleon. He stood perfectly still, seeming to think about something with great intensity... He said what was running through his head made no sense... But I thought I understood him. I looked at the marble stairs, my voice almost normal. "You thought you knew him... And then... You find he's changed..."

The chameleon looked up at me, but I couldn't tell what he was thinking. After a moment, he asked, "Who are you?"

I answered, "Rouge the Bat." It was no use to add any titles to that name... No treasure hunter, or government spy... I'd left the government long ago... And the only treasure I really cared about at the moment was getting further away by the second.

"Have we met before?" He was studying my face quizzically.

"I don't think so..." That's what I said, anyway... There was something faintly familiar about him. I'd probably just passed him on the street once or something.

He still looked thoughtful, but he dropped the subject. "Do you know what happened to the Master Emerald?"

I frowned, replying, "No. I didn't see that it was gone until only minutes ago... "

"It's broken." He spoke with certainty. I wondered why he even asked me in the first place if he already knew... He continued then, "Yet the island hasn't fallen." That was an interesting thought. I hadn't even noticed, actually. Very interesting... Guess I was too concerned with more important things! _Who cares, you idiot?! I need to find Knuckles! _He continued to speak, but I heard little of what he said... Until he stopped suddenly. I looked at him. He seemed concerned, "Is something wrong?"

_Is something __**WRONG**__?! Everything's wrong! What kind of question is that?! _"I'm worried about Knuckles... Yesterday evening... He... Didn't seem to be... himself..."

He nodded solemnly. "He was knocked out when Shadow the Hedgehog brought him by the office earlier..."

_....What? This guy knows where Knuckles is?! _"Wait, you saw Knuckles?"

"About an hour or two ago... Shadow brought him into our office..."

_Let my rephrase that question. _"You know where Knuckles is?!"

He shook his head. "Not exactly... The hedgehog stormed out on me... And vanished..."

So, I had no exact location... But I knew that just an hour ago, Knuckles was still alive. And he was with Shadow... Former best friend to myself... But there was hope... And there was a chance...

_Shadow the Hedgehog... You hold my life in your hands... Keep him safe... I'm coming to find you._

_

* * *

_Rouge is back in the story, finally! Haha. Rouge meets Espio, who tells her this... And what is going to unravel? Where are Shadow and Knuckles?

Reviews! Inspiration! (Haha, I think you get the point.)


	12. Unknowingly Caged

Okay. Realize it's been a few weeks, and I do apologize for the delay! Really! It's the school and the holiday and such... Plus, I was debating whether to write a few chapters and release them all on one day, or write and release one at a time.... (I picked the second one, eventually...)

Special thanks to AmethystUchiha for her reviews on every chapter so far (and for being the one to distract me and keep me from writing... :P That's right; I'm gonna blame you. Hahaha.). You're awesome, Amethyst!

And also thanks to SonicXfan1 for being someone to talk to about the story and for being so supportive of the writing! :) You're awesome, as well!

And finally, special thanks to Cheetay for being so enthusiastic about the story and asking me several times when I was planning to update. :) Really, it makes me happy to hear that someone is actually taking the time to read the story and like it so much! You are also awesome. Hahaha.

To the rest of the reviewers, I love you! You guys are amazing! Your reviews are so inspirational, and they're really driving forces for my writing!

Now.... This chapter is AGAIN a new point of view.... But it will probably be the LAST new point of view introduced into the story. The rest of the story will be wrapped up with the characters we've already met. So, without further ado, the next step into this story....

* * *

Chapter Twelve: Unknowingly Caged

Business was rough. _Can't a great detective get even a single decent job in a city like this? At this point ANY job would be good. How'm I even supposed to pay the rent for the office? _Money was running low, prices were getting high, Charmy was consuming twice his weight in candy every day...

And to top it all off, Espio had been gone for almost two months.

"Hey, Vector... D'ya think Espio went with Shadow and Knuckles?"

I sighed, responding, "Charms, for the thousandth time... I don't know where Espio went."

"But he's coming back, right?"

I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. _It's nice to think so._ Without thinking, my hand went to the handle of the drawer I had found Espio's communicator in. The device had been the only way we kept in touch with him. It wasn't unlike Espio to go off for a few weeks to get away... But when we needed him back we could always call.

_Not this time..._

Charmy was being unusually quiet... Heck, any amount of quiet from the bee was unusual. I looked over at him. "What's up, Charmy?"

He seemed to be thinking about something. "Hey, Vector, ya think maybe..."

Before the bee could finish, there was the sudden sound of knocking on the door. Charmy stopped mid-sentence, glancing to the door then back to me. The knocking was pretty steady, and for a second there was a bit of hope, but.... _Nah, it can't be Espio. He wouldn't have to knock; he'd just come straight in._

Charmy was still looking at me, so I got up and walked over to the door. The sound of the knocking stopped, and I closed my eyes, opening the door with the first thing that came to mind, "Chaotix Detective Agency, how can we be of service?"

"Detective agency, huh?" I opened my eyes and saw three guys at the door. They were all humans, wearing dark grey business suits and black sunglasses. The guy in the middle withdrew something from his pocket and held it out towards me. A gold badge flashed under the sunlight, signifying some sort of ranking with the government. The guy withdrew the badge after a moment, then adjusted his sunglasses, saying, "Sir, we're with GUN, and we're here to ask you some questions."

I was alarmed. _Whadda they want with us? _I turned back into the room to glance at Charmy, but he was staring at the people with a weird look on his face.

"Sir." I looked back at the people. It was the same guy talking. I hadn't moved, so he continued, "Sir, if you do not allow us to enter the building, then we may have to continue this interview downtown."

My thoughts raced. _I paid the bills, right? Yeah, I got them in last month... So, what does GUN want? What're they doing here? Charmy hasn't been up to destruction of property, has he...? _I absentmindedly turned to the little bee. _Nah, ever since Espio left, I've kept a good eye on Charmy... _My train of thought stopped suddenly.

I could tell the guy was about to speak again, so I moved away from the door, allowing the three officers to come into the office. They did so.

_Espio. _That's what this had to be about... What had Espio done...? Or maybe.... Did something happen to him?

The officers stepped into the middle of the room, looking around the office as they walked. Didn't seem too impressed with the clutter of the room.

I closed the door and walked into the room, towards the officers, apologizing, "Sorry 'bout the mess. Charmy here's a kenophobic, so we always gotta keep stuff everywhere in the room..."

The bee's sarcastic answer came immediately, "Oh yeah, it's all _**my**_ fault..."

One of the guys, a different one from the one who'd been talking, looked unnerved at Charmy's speaking. Didn't know why; Charmy looked and sounded the same as always. The guy was giving the bee a strange look, so I turned to the one who had seemed to establish himself as the speaker. The speaker cleared his throat, "Irving's allergic." Allergic to Charmy?

I musta seemed puzzled. "Allergic? Uh, alright..."

The speaker didn't sound like he wanted to explain, but he did, anyway, "It's a very common allergy for people to be allergic to bees. Most everyone is, though some are worse than others." I glanced at Charmy. Couldn't tell if he was offended by this information... Or if he was excited by the fact that he was important enough to be able to frighten some guys four times his size. _You're a strange kid, Charmy._

I nodded, showing I understood what the officer said, then I sighed, "So, you got some, er, questions?"

The speaker nodded, frowning. "Sir, according to our files, an Espio the Chameleon lives at this residence."

I swallowed a deep breath. _So this is about Espio... _Behind me, Charmy was staring at the people. He spoke up when I said nothing. The bee's distinct voice was loud as ever, "You're GUN, right?"

The officer nodded, never looking at the bee, "I believe we've clarified that."

Charmy snorted, "Well, I can't imagine your resources are unlimited. 'Sides, we moved in early last month. I dunno about anyone who lived here before that."

I stared at the bee, shocked. _What're you doing, Charmy? _But I didn't say anything, and I kept my face blank.

The officers all exchanged glances, then the speaker shook his head, "These records are from last month and the names of an Espio the Chameleon, a Vector the Crocodile, and a Charming Bee are all on the paperwork."

Charmy's retaliation was immediate, "Well, obviously, if someone was living here, moved out, then we moved in, we'd ALL be on the residency paperwork."

The speaker looked frustrated for a moment, then regained his expressionless face. "We have our ways of obtaining records before that. These records were simply most recent."

"Well, until you guys have some other records, or something else, you don't have a case!" The bee nodded knowingly and smugly. I just watched, not comprehending what was happening.

The officers looked irritated, finally. "Excuse me? You're going to tell us when we have a case? We'll arrest both of you right now!"

"Nuh-uh! I'm eight! You can't arrest me! Plus, it wouldn't be legal! We haven't done anything!"

" 'Wouldn't be legal'? We are the law, kid. And until you have proof that you are not related in any way to Espio the Chameleon..." One of the officers withdrew what was unmistakably a gun. I had a sharp intake of breath, and I turned to Charmy, trying to communicate with my expression... _Charmy? What're you doing? Whaddayou know that I don't...?_

Charmy tried to show a reassuring smile. He knew something I didn't. He was planning something. He was trying to do something, and he seemed to know what he was doing. _I trust you, Charms. _

Two of the officers had guns out, pointing them at both Charmy and me. I knew what I had to do. I growled, pushing myself in front of Charmy, facing the officers. Their guns wouldn't do much to my crocodile skin, anyway! I turned my head slightly, "Charmy, get outta here! You got somewhere to go?!"

Charmy nodded, already halfway to the door, "We'll bail ya out, Vector! Don't give 'em the ninja!"

_Got it. We're sticking together. We won't give up Espio._ I understood. The officers didn't. But Charmy was gone, and I knew he was gonna be safe. I'd protect that bee with my life.

So, I didn't know why exactly... But I was being hauled off to a prison cell in a GUN base. Everything was confusing, to be sure. My allegiance was to my team, though.

* * *

Rather fast, confusing chapter, I suppose? Maybe? For Vector it most certainly was. GUN is searching for Espio? And Charmy seems to know something... AND IT'S BEEN A MONTH?! This is craziness! What's been happening?! Did we miss something? Hmm...

Please, feel free to review! It helps so much! ;)


	13. Calmly Taken

Yay reviewers! You are all AMAZING!!! :D As I've said many times before, I love you guys!

And now... To answer some questions.... (Though probably not the ones that you're wondering at the moment... XD)

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Chapter Thirteen: Calmly Taken

My shoes glided over the metal floor smoothly as I moved across the room, surveying the documents I'd taken from GUN's system. They were all virtual documents, of course. That's all GUN had. Stored everything on computers. That's one thing that made them all a bunch of idiots. Anyone with the right password can come along and delete files like that easily. Or transfer them. The particular files I was looking at for the moment had all been in seperate parts of the computer's memory and all varied in length. I'd transfered them, then deleted them from the system of GUN. They wouldn't be able to recover the files.

I frowned as the first file's contents appeared on the screen.

_Name: Rouge_

_Species: Bat_

_Fur Color: White_

_Eye Color: Aqua_

_Occupation: Agent of GUN_

_Hobbies/Interests: Jewel-collecting, thievery..._

I stopped reading for a moment, slightly disturbed by the next line...

_Favorite Color: Amethyst/Violet_

I read the line several times, before closing the file with the touch of a button. _Favorite color? How would they even know that... This is an invasion of privacy... _Still, the file was reassuring in a way. I didn't read most of it, but it did list Rouge's job as an agent. So, they never corrected the file. They wouldn't be searching for her. _Good. _I switched my attention the next file, opening it, and the screen flashed brightly as the new file opened.

_Name: Knuckles_

_Species: Unknown -reports say a creature known as "Echidna"_

_Fur Color: Bright red_

_Eye Color: A dark color, possibly blue, or maybe a dark purple_

_Occupation: Guardian of the Master Emerald_

_Hobbies/Interests: Unknown_

_Favorite Color: Unknown - speculated to be a bright green_

_Lineage: Unknown_

_Birthdate: Unknown - speculated to be in early February_

_Friends: Sonic the Hedgehog, Miles "Tails" Prower, Amy Rose_

I scoffed at that line. Friends? _Some friend Faker is. He's not even around. Probably never tried to go see the echidna, either. It's half his fault this happened, anyway. Idiot faker. I swear... Even if I never hated you before now... Nothing in this world could make me forgive you._

From across the room I heard the mechanical sound of the metal doors sliding open, and I pressed a button, closing the file immediately. I turned towards the sound to see the echidna walking in, carrying a satchel filled with different plants from around the area. He looked at me, nodding in greeting, and I turned away, "Hmph."

He didn't try to start up any conversation. I didn't expect him to. It didn't really matter. Silence was one of the only things I was comfortable with. That's one thing that linked us, I guess. He didn't seem to mind silence, either.

The echidna walked to the middle of the room and started sorting through everything he'd foraged. I watched him for a moment silently. _He's improved. _I didn't think much more of it. He'd gotten better gradually. And he wasn't healed entirely. There was a chance he'd never be healed entirely. Another thing we shared in common, I suppose. I closed my eyes. _We both lost... everything._

I turned back around to the screen, selecting another file to put up, and I stepped back as the file appeared on the screen.

_Name: Espio_

_Species: Chameleon_

_Scale Color: Varies, typically fuchsia _

_Eye Color: Yellow_

_Occupation: Detective_

_Hobbies/Interests: Martial arts_

_Favorite Color: Possibly a variant of dark pink- as assumed by the usual color of scales_

I smirked, wondering if that speculation was true. A chameleon's favorite color was the color he chose to remain constantly? Even if there was no truth to the matter it was an interesting thought... _Why did I even take his files, anyway? _I wasn't sure why I'd taken and deleted all records of him from the database. I didn't like the chameleon. I knew that. But I couldn't actually remember making the decision to take the files.

"What is that?" The echidna was staring at the screen in question.

I pressed a button again, making the screen clear. "It's nothing. Some files I took from GUN to keep them from getting involved in this."

"You don't think they'd be more likely to get involved? Once they realize files are missing?"

"GUN is full of idiots, Echidna. I would know. I worked for them." I heard the sound of movement coming from another room. _Metal Sonic must be awake..._

A door to my right slid open, and the metallic blue hedgehog floated into the room. He glanced in my direction before proceeding towards the echidna. I sighed, for some reason feeling more comfortable in these cold metal halls of one of the Doctor's former bases than anywhere. _It's because this is the legacy of Maria... _ Maria had been the one to guide me to help Metal Sonic after he'd been defeated as Metal Overlord. Omega had carried the robot to this place, and we'd repaired him. The mechanical hedgehog seemed grateful for the assistance; he'd made the base his home. I had no idea if he had more dreams of world domination any time soon, but it didn't really matter at the moment. Maria had saved him.

Metal drifted over to the red echidna, scanning him, before saying, "You are 94% better than the day you were brought here. There is no bloodescaping from your system, and your skin is almost fully healed, except for some marks on your hands. How is your mental health?"

The echidna shrugged, "How should I know?"

The robot stood there, face unable to show puzzlement, "You can't tell if you are mentally healthy? Do you have feelings...?"

The Guardian glared at the robot, "I have the feeling that if you keep asking me questions I'm gonna hurt you."

Metal backed away, raising his hands in defense. He really was very creature-like. If it weren't for the facts that his body gave off a terrible glare in the sunlight, his eyes were two eye-shaped computer screens, and he never showed emotion in his facial features he could be just a normal creature.

"Shadow, the echidna insists that he is mentally unstable. Should I try to help?" I rolled my eyes at Metal Sonic, who was shouting to me from across the room. _He even has a sense of humor.... _

Well, Metal Sonic may have had a sense of humor, but the Guardian definitely did not. "WHAT'D YOU SAY?!" The echidna was ready to fight. _It's like living with children... Children who both have serious issues and aren't afraid to point them out to each other. _The robot seemed to get amusement out of sparking the echidna's temper, but I knew whatever amusement he got would be gone as soon as the echidna said...

"Well, whatever, _**METAL**_!" _The echidna doesn't even have to say anything, really. Just that one word is enough to set Metal Sonic off... _

The robot spun around to face the Guardian, angrily shouting back, "I AM THE REAL SONIC!!!"

"Which explains why you're made of_** METAL**_!"

"TAKE! THAT! BACK!" The robot and echidna were face to face, both looking ready for a fight.

"Why don't you make me?!"

And the battle ensued. Just as it had **every.** **single.** **day.** since the two had figured out how to get on each other's nerves. Neither had new tactics, either. Metal used his speed, skating around the echidna, while the echidna made random punches, attempting to hit the robotic hedgehog. The echidna would manage to land a hit a few times, sending the hedgehog flying across the room, then the Guardian would get attacked by a speeding metallic spinner of anger...

I watched them fight, feeling a sort of calm take over me. It was amazing how much the Guardian had changed. He wasn't suicidal anymore. He seemed functional, now. He was eating again. Which he hadn't done the first two or three weeks....

And yet really... He wasn't any better.

He had yet to smile or say what was on his mind. The only hint I had at what happened were the words he'd said half-dead on that first night.... When he mentioned Rouge. Everything else I knew by deduction. Like the fact that when I mentioned the Faker once in conversation, the echidna just became rigid and unresponsive.

So, the problem, as I had come to decide, was mentality. The mind is forced to address problems when they come along, only once the mind realizes there's a problem. The echidna had never known other creatures, so he never knew what it felt like to miss others. But during a long time of absence, he seemed to have experienced a fit of terrible loneliness, and he probably hadn't realized what the feeling was. He didn't know what it was to feel such emotional pain, and a side effect seemed to be that he decided he was no longer of use to the world. His own thoughts confused him, and, being such an instinct-driven creature, his confusion was redirected into violence.

I looked at him from across the room. He'd gotten Metal Sonic into a headlock and both were yelling at each other again.

"Take it back!"

"Never!"

"TAKE IT BACK!"

"NO!"

I shook my head at the two. They were childish, no doubt. But there was a strange peaceful feel from them. Not really a happy feeling... Maybe it was just the sense of belonging, for the first time in fifty years. _Hmph._ My persona really didn't want to be taken with the feeling... Yet... Something inside me... Told me I needed to be happy. Maybe.... This was... The first step towards happiness? I was frustrated a little by the thoughts.

_Maria, what are you planning? _I knew she wouldn't answer... And yet, oddly... I was almost certain that, in the distance I could hear a young girl's laughter...

"Someone's coming." The robot and Guardian stood in the center of the room, no longer in combat. The echidna was frozen in place, his eyes focused on the nothingness in front of him. Metal looked at me. Metal had been the one who had spoken. He looked troubled.

But it was the echidna who knew what was coming. And he looked far from troubled. His face was as blank as the night I'd found him... Almost... dead...

I cursed heavily, running towards the door, "How could anyone find us here?!" Omega and I had been the only ones who knew the place... Omega... _Of course. _ I cursed again.

_Rouge. _I looked back behind me at the red echidna standing in the middle of the floor. _Rouge, you're the last person who needs to be here right now..._

And just like that I was proven wrong. The door swung open, revealing the _**actual**_ last person anyone needed to see.

* * *

The ACTUAL last person anyone needs to see? Hmm... Who could that be, I wonder... And yes, Metal Sonic's in the story, now... Interesting... Shadow's sorta got a hobby of helping others, doesn't he? Though, of course, he says it's all Maria helping them... Hahaha. Wow... Still wondering where Charmy is, though... And if Rouge isn't at the door, then where is she? What's happening with everyone?!

Please review! :D It makes me happy and gives inspiration! :D

-And, as a side note, though I had not originally planned to, I am going to write a (somewhat) sequel to this story. Haha... Yeah, I actually had planned on releasing a totally new story on New Year's Day at midnight.... But, due to the way things are unraveling, the story may actually turn into a sequel, just in the sense that it takes place after this one. The story is totally different, but it involves some of the same characters, as well as new ones, and the first chapter will still be released tomorrow night. -


	14. Getting There

Lots of updating this week. :) Haha, I'm glad for that.

Thanks to all of my reviewers! (As usual) I love all of you! :D

Haha, some special thanks go to AmethystUchiha, Cheetay, SonicXFan1, and now also to B4ndlss for enthusiasm, creativity, and just overall awesomeness. Hahaha.

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Chapter Fourteen: Getting There

It was about six o' clock in the morning when I woke up to the loud sound of the doorbell ringing. Repeatedly. In quick succession. Really high-pitched. And LOUD... again. Over and over.

I trudged out of my room, still in my pajamas, my hair a mess a mess from having just been rudely awakened. I was wielding my hammer. Angrily, I might add. I stormed down the hallway towards the staircase that led to downstairs. By the time I was at the top of the stairs, Vanilla was at the door. _Grr.... Whoever's there... Just consider yourself lucky to get off today... If I had gotten the door, you can rest assured that you would be facing the wrath of Amy Rose and her Piko-Piko Hammer! _I had half a mind to pound some sense into whoever was there even though I was _**not**_ the one to answer the door... But I was at the Rabbits', so I slowly put my hammer away, trying to walk downstairs as civilly as I possibly could.

Vanilla's voice was worried when she answered the door, and, upon seeing whoever it was, she sounded almost alarmed, "Oh, dear... Charmy? What's wrong?"

_Charmy, huh? That explains it. Who else would go around waking people up by ringing the doorbell really loudly over and over again? ...Grr... _

Sure enough, the bee's youthful voice could be heard answering Vanilla, "It's Vector! We have to get help!"

"Charmy, dear, come in. What happened?" Vanilla stepped aside and Charmy flew in at a ridiculously high speed, crashing directly into the living room wall.

Vanilla closed the front door, then hurried into the living room to help Charmy, who had fallen to the ground and was quietly rubbing his head, "Ouch." That was the only thing he said before he sprung back up into the air and started buzzing around in a circle frantically. _Honestly, that child has too much sugar in his system at all times. Does he even eat ANYTHING healthy?_

Vanilla nodded in my direction, saying in a calm voice, as always, "Amy, be a dear and go tell Cream to get ready. I think we may have to go find Sonic and Tails." I nodded, walking away from the scene and climbing back up the stairs. I headed towards Cream's room. I stopped at the door, knocking quietly, but, after getting no answer, I decided to open the door. The only light in the room was the light of the morning sun entering through the windows. Cream was fast asleep in her bed with her pet chao, Cheese, just next to her. I sweatdropped. _Ears like that and she still didn't hear all of the commotion... _Still, I smiled at the young rabbit peacefully sleeping.

I walked to the side of the bed, putting my hand on her shoulder and very gently shaking her, "Cream... Cream, wake up...."

Miraculously, despite the fact that she hadn't awoken when the commotion was at its loudest, she woke up almost instantly at my voice. The small rabbit seemed to skip past the morning drowsiness, as well, and her eyes were bright as she spoke, "Oh, good morning, Amy."

I smiled at her, "Good morning, Cream. Your mother says that we should get ready. Something's going on, and we're going to leave soon to find Sonic."

She nodded, "Thank you, Amy. I'll be ready."

I started to say something, but then remembered that I needed to get ready as well. So, I just waved to Cream and ran back down the hallway to my room. I opened the closet, pondering what to wear before deciding on my usual red dress. _After all, better stick with something I'm comfortable in. Not sure how much of an adventure this little commotion could turn into. _That decided, I laid the outfit out then went out into the hallway to fetch a towel from the closet. I took a quick shower, then dried my hair as quickly as possible before running a brush through it and adding a red headband. I put on my red dress and red boots to match, before proceeding to leave my room and go downstairs. Vanilla and Cream were ready to go already, sitting on the large couch in the living room. Charmy was flying around... Still. I doubted that he had stopped moving the entire time I had been upstairs.

"Are we all ready to go?" Vanilla stood up when she saw me approach.

I responded, "Yeah, we're ready."

Vanilla gazed up at Charmy, her voice gentle, "I called Tails, and he and Sonic are going to meet us near there."

The bee suddenly went flying towards the door, "Then let's go! Let's go, let's go! Come on, let's go! What're we waiting for?" _...I have a feeling I'm going to hurt that bee before the day is out... _To my surprise and dismay, Cream seemed to find Charmy's anxiety amusing. She giggled as the bee continued to go on and on. Even as we left the house and began making our way to the place we would meet Sonic, Charmy kept talking. Constantly.

As we walked towards Station Square, he could be heard retelling his dinner a few nights earlier, "I had two chocolate bars, and a piece of chocolate cake, and some chocolate pie with some chocolate on the side, and some chocolate ice cream with lots of whipped cream on top, and a dozen or two chocolate chip cookies, and one or twenty brownies, --OH! And my favorite kinda cereal: you know, the kind that looks like honeycombs. Of course, I ate the cereal in a bowl with some chocolate milk. Sorry to get off subject there. Anyway, and I had some doughnuts covered in chocolate icing, and some little chocolate candies covered in candy, and a chocolate lollipop, and..."

By the time we were progressing through the streets of Station Square towards the forest on the other side of town, he'd switched to talking about his favorite _**kind**_ of chocolate, "You know, I talk about eating all this chocolate, but I'm not really sure what my favorite kind is -- Hey, how about the white kind with all that white chocolatey goodness? OH! Or maybe the dark kind with all that dark chocolatey goodness! Or, or, _**OR**_ the milky kind with all that milky chocolatey goodness! You know, I think I love all chocolate -- OH, wait, I think my favorite kind is white chocolate covered in dark chocolate covered in milk chocolate, then dipped in a mix of all kinds of chocolate! I love chocolate! OH! Especially that kind that's all chocolatey! You know, I think..."

When. we. _**FINALLY**_. reached. the. forest. he. was. _**STILL**_. talking. "Hey, who here likes honey? I know I like honey! You know, bees make honey -- yep, that's a fact! Bees, we buzz around, and we get the stuff to make honey, then we go and we make honey, and then we eat honey! We eat lotsa honey. Lots and lotsa honey! OH! But you know, my favorite way to eat honey -- you'll never guess -- is covered in chocolate! You know, milk chocolate-covered dark chocolate covering white chocolate-covered honey is just the best! Or even the chocolate by itself, you know. Have I ever told you my favorite kind of chocolate? You know, I talk about eating all this chocolate, but..."

I saw Sonic in the distance, leaning against a tree, and, thankful for an excuse to get ahead, away from the bee, I started running towards him. I tackled my blue hedgehog before he could move out of the way, "Sonic!!!"

He managed to keep his balance, and he sighed, "Hey, Amy." He looked up as the others walked to us. "Hey, Vanilla, Cream." He paused before adding, "Charmy."

Vanilla smiled sweetly, "Hello, Sonic. Thank you so much for coming out here."

Sonic nodded as I slowly let go of him, and he answered, "Sure, Vanilla. What's all this about a secret base and GUN?"

Vanilla looked at Charmy, who was explaining the origin of chocolate to Cream, then she spoke, "Charmy says that GUN is after Espio. He says that GUN believes that Espio is responsible for many recent crimes, including the theft and destruction of the Master Emerald, the theft of five Chaos Emeralds, and..." Again, Vanilla looked at Charmy. "And he won't say what else they think Espio's done. But Charmy believes that the answers to everything are out here somewhere. He said he met someone who told him of a secret base around here..."

Sonic also looked at Charmy in an almost curious way before nodding, "Tails said that there's an old base of Eggman's somewhere around here. He said it's not far from here at all. Maybe a mile at most." _Where is Tails? _I looked for the little fox, and Sonic seemed to notice, "He had to finish some repairs on the plane before heading here, so he told us to go on ahead without him."

I breathed deeply, trying to ignore Charmy behind me who continued to ramble on. Cream was the only one paying any attention, I think, but she kept giggling. I think she must've been amazed that anyone could speak that quickly for such a long amount of time without needing to breathe...

We began moving in the direction Sonic indicated, and I tried to stay at the front of the group with Sonic. Vanilla walked behind us, and Cream and Charmy remained at the back of the group... Though he was talking so loudly, I was fairly certain that the entire forest could hear us. Luckily, just as Tails had foretold, the base was not far away. We hadn't been moving for ten minutes when we saw what appeared to be an old building in the middle of a bunch of undergrowth. Vines and ivy had begun growing up the side of the building.

I stared at it, "So, that's the place?" Behind us, Charmy had just said something apparently very funny because Cream's giggling had turned to full laughter. I was losing my patience with the bee, but it didn't matter quite as much now that I was with Sonic.

The blue hedgehog was also staring at the building, his signature smirk now on his face, and he suddenly took off running toward what looked like the large metal door to the building. I sighed, shaking my head. _Same old Sonic... _Actually, I was surprised he went the first ten minutes without running. _Hmm... Maybe he wanted to walk... beside me? _ The thought instantly put me in a good mood, and I started running after him. I caught up to him as he stopped in front of the door, swinging it open...

And suddenly the whole atmosphere changed.

None other than Shadow the Hedgehog stood in front of us, in the doorway, barring our way in. And the look he was giving Sonic was enough to make the hero's smile disappear, as well as put an end to my short-lived good mood.

Sonic stared at Shadow for a moment before his eyes widened, and he tried to look past the black hedgehog. Sonic's voice was louder than it had been minutes ago, "Shadow, what are you doing here?"

Shadow stared back with burning hatred evident in his red eyes... Sure, I'd known Shadow was never Sonic's biggest fan... But I'd never seen him give that look before. _What's going on here?_

Sonic seemed to figure out what was wrong, or at least he thought he had. Sonic was focused on trying to see what was inside the room, but Shadow did not move, blocking my hero's view. Sonic shook his head, "Shadow, get out of the way!"

And in a second, Shadow was nose-to-nose with Sonic, "Of course, _**Faker**_. _The moment I see your pathetic self burning in the flames of Hell." _Vanilla gasped behind us from the tone in Shadow's voice. I couldn't blame her, either. His voice sounded icy... and almost... venomous.

For a moment, Sonic even looked shocked. He almost took a step back. Just that was enough to set me off. I narrowed my eyes, stepping forward, "Just who do you think you are to tell my Sonic-"

I was cut off by a voice from somewhere inside the room. "Sonic?!" And a second pair of eyes appeared in the doorway.

I gasped, "Metal Sonic?!" Beside me, I heard Sonic yell the same thing. He was just as confused as I was.

There were shrieks behind us as suddenly both Sonic and me were lifted into the air by our necks.

"FOOLS! I AM THE REAL SONIC!" The robotic being had each of our necks in one of its hands. His computerized eyes stared at Sonic for a long moment before changing to look at me. There was no change in his face looking between the two of us.

Shadow was slightly behind Metal Sonic and was staring up solely at Sonic. I didn't understand. Shadow and Sonic had, if anything, grown to a point of respect in their relationship, even if it couldn't rightfully be called "friendship". They had started getting along better... So, why the change?

Sonic looked from Metal Sonic to Shadow before shouting, "Shadow! What are you doing?! I thought you were on our side! What about when we defeated Metal Sonic?!"

Shadow didn't blink as he responded, "He deserved a second chance."

I turned my glare back to Shadow, "Wha-?! You mean you did this?! What, you decided to revamp Metal Sonic?! Do you _**want**_ the world to fall to pieces!?"

Shadow continued to keep his terrible, burning gaze on Sonic, "Maybe if you don't believe in second chances, you should never take away someone's first."

I yelled, not liking the way he was talking to Sonic, "What are you even _**talking**_ about?!"

Sonic suddenly became very quiet. I turned away from Shadow to look at Sonic, who was staring at Shadow with a dark look on his face. Shadow's voice dripped with sarcasm, "Smart enough to figure that one out, _Faker_?"

I looked from Sonic to Shadow to Metal Sonic... _What's going on?_ Sonic continued to watch Shadow, not saying a word... Then he burst into a shout, "Knuckles!!! Knuckles!! Knuckl-!" Sonic was stopped by Shadow's fist into his stomach. I could hear the others behind us gasp...

I screamed, "Sonic!!!!!"

Metal Sonic let go of me, and I fell to the ground, cushioned only by Sonic who had fallen before me. I stared up at the attackers... But Metal Sonic had disappeared back into the room. Shadow was looking away from us, staring into the room. _What is he doing?_ Sonic moved beneath me, coughing, and I turned back to him. He seemed alright... His eyes were focused on Shadow.

It took about five seconds for Metal Sonic to appear at the doorway again. His only words were directed at Shadow, "He's gone."

Shadow cursed really loudly.

* * *

What a lovely line to end the chapter on. Hahaha. XD

So.... It was Sonic at the door... And.... After a series of events..... Knuckles... is.... gone.....? Again...


	15. Back Again

Haha, lots of thanks go to my reviewers! Lots of love for you all!

Don't have much time tonight, and I think the chapter is pretty self-explanatory. So, here we are...

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Chapter Fifteen: Back Again

"Tell me where they are, or you can consider yourself dead!"

"Rouge, what's wrong with you? ...Are you alright?"

_"Alright"?! I'm standing here holding a knife to your throat and you're going to ask me if I'm alright!? Of course I'm alright! _"I'm not crazy! I'm perfectly sane! ** Tell me where they are**!"

The fox's blue eyes looked up at me, "But, Rouge, I never said you were crazy... I just asked if you were alright..."

I glared at him, withdrawing the dagger from his throat, ignoring his words. I yelled fiercely, "**I didn't ask for your opinion on my sanity! Tell me where they are**!"

The yellow fox tried to crawl away, staring at me in fear. _You should fear me, stupid little kid. _I took a step toward him, and he quickly said, "I don't know! They're going to find one of Dr. Eggman's old secret bases!" _Old secret bases?_ He kept watching me, then, as I took a moment to think, he spoke again, "Rouge, is this about Knuckles?"

_You ignorant little... How dare you even speak his name?! Oh, I should kill you right now... But instead I'll play this game. May as well get all of the information I can. _I feigned a look of surprise and casually asked, "Do you know where he is?" The fox backed away from me.

His voice was quieter, "No... But, Rouge, I heard he was with Shadow..."

_I already know that! _"I've been tracking down Shadow for two months, now! I broke into GUN to see if I could find any files of him that had any indication of where they might be! Their computer claims he doesn't exist! I've searched everywhere!"

The little fox looked like he was about to speak again when a strange noise interrupted him. He took out a small device that appeared to be a phone of some sort and pressed a button. The noise stopped. Instead, there was the voice of a familiar blue hedgehog. I listened closely.

Sonic sounded tired, "Hey, Tails... I don't think we found what Charmy was looking for; Shadow lives out here." My ears perked up. _Shadow? _

_'Knuckles...'_

The young fox replied, "Really? Shadow?" His blue eyes then turned back to me, and he added, "Sonic, can you ask Shadow if he knows where Knuckles is?"

The hedgehog paused before responding. "Er, see, I could, Tails, but... Something's up with Shadow. He's different."

"What do you mean by 'different', exactly?" The fox looked unsure.

"Uh, well, let's just say Metal Sonic nearly strangled us to death when we tried to talk to Shadow."

"Metal Sonic?! Didn't we beat him?"

"Yeah, well, Tails, he just keeps coming back. Besides, when we showed up Shadow was all tense and secretive, and then I think I heard Metal Sonic say that Knuckles was gone."

_Gone... Not again... No! _

The short, mechanical genius just blinked a few times, looking thoughtful, before saying softly, "It isn't like Knuckles to just run off like that. Knuckles has never run away from his problems..."

The blue "hero"'s voice sounded indifferent, "Right, Tails, well, I gotta go, now. See ya." The call dropped.

My fists clenched. _Is he serious?! He doesn't even care! _

_'Of course he doesn't. Neither does the fox. You are the only one who cares about Knuckles.'_ I relaxed, focusing on the voice that only I could hear.

_'He's right, though; Knuckles would not have run away. He must have been taken!' _My head ached a bit as both voices came into the conversation.

_'You'll have to save Knuckles.'_

"Rouge, are you okay?"

_'Rouge, pay attention! The fox is speaking to you!'_

I shook my head, looking at the mechanic. He was staring at me with a worried look on his face.

'_Ha, yeah, right! He isn't worried! He's faking it! He's trying to deceive you!'_

I narrowed my eyes, glad for the voices and glad for the circumstances. Because there was no reason for me to pretend to go along with everything that some stupid hedgehog and his friends said. I was out for only one thing: to find _**him**_.

"Rouge! Do you need me to call a doctor?"

I stared at the yellow creature for a long second, listening to the voices in my head. They argued for a moment over what to do, and I waited. Their screams made my head hurt, but I was grateful that the voices were back. As long as they were here I'd know exactly where to go, what to do.

As I left Tails' workshop, I locked the door behind me and walked off, grinning as I heard the fox yelling to be set free from inside a tiny closet.

_'Those wires should keep him tied up.'_

_'Yes, we know how to get rid of your problems.'_

_'Now, the phone...'_

I skipped along, over to the edge of the cliff that the workshop itself stood on. I looked over the side of the cliff, and dropped the twin-tailed fox's tiny phone. I smiled, as the device bounced off the rocky wall of the cliff and hit the water's surface, making barely a ripple, then sinking. Forever.

I spread my wings, still smiling, and took to the sky.

_'Don't worry about a single thing, Rouge. We'll make sure this all turns out better in the end.'_

_'After all, when have we ever let you down?'_

_

* * *

_

_...**They're back...**_ Two months alone. Of course Rouge's voices have returned to her! Is it a cycle? And now her behavior is, if possible, worse? She's not trying to fool everyone anymore... Her only goal is to find Knuckles? The question, though... How much worse will she get before finding him?And she seems intent on something... Where is she going? What is her insanity leading her to?

Reviews are welcome and appreciated! :D


	16. For Another

Okay... Well..... For a while there I was updating all the time, I know... But... That was Christmas break! So, haven't had much free time at all. The first week back was terrible, I've been having to do a ridiculous amount of writing for classes and stuff like that. However, I am updating tonight! Yay!!! :D

Furthermore, I would still like to apologize for the wait (Though really, if you want to blame anyone, blame my boyfriend. XD It's totally his fault for taking up all of my free time.) because the amount of time it took me to write this actually irritated me, as well. Hahaha, but that's in the past. Still, as I stated before, the three or four weeks it took me to update... not my fault. XD

Alright. Thank you to my reviewers, as usual! You're all sheer awesomeness!

And now for another chapter... As we begin counting down to the end of the story... Shall we see what happens next?

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**Chapter Sixteen: For Another**

I woke up sharply as soon as I felt a presence in the vicinity. I was already standing up -- I had no problem sleeping while standing -- and did not move, lest I make a sound. I had already made myself invisible before I had gone to sleep. So, I stood, listening and waiting for the slightest movement around me. And then there was a voice.

"Hmph, now... The signal's coming from somewhere around here..."

The voice belonged to a female, I could tell. I guessed her age to be somewhere between her late teens and early twenties... I didn't recognize her voice, though. _What would anyone be doing out here? _Her voice was echoing down the steel-walled hallway, so I assumed that she was already inside the laboratory. I took a step in the direction of her voice, pressing the side of my head against the wall to enable myself to listen better.

Her voice was closer; she was probably walking through the main room toward the hall in which I stood. She seemed to be mumbling to herself, "Come on... The emeralds have got to be somewhere in this dump..."

I heard the sound of the mechanical door opening, and I quickly turned my head toward the sound. I half-inhaled sharply, but I stopped the breath before any noise was made.

A female swallow was standing in the hallway, glancing around the area. Her feathers were long and purple, a sort of variation somewhere between dark lavender and light violet. She was dressed completely in white, save for her bright red shoes and the red stripe circling the lower part of her shirt. Around her neck was some sort of red gem.

I relaxed upon seeing her apparent disinterest in whatever it was she was doing. The expression on her face seemed bored, even irritated. I half-wondered why she was here.

A small clicking sound then rang through the hall. She blinked as the clicking repeated, suddenly in rapid succession, and her beak opened slightly as her eyes scanned the room again, this time more intent. I was as close to the wall as was possible, and I attempted to remain calm, though she was only approximately twelve feet away from me.

_She can't see you. You're invisible, remember. _The thoughts did not help me, oddly enough... My thoughts were typically strong enough to keep me focused and calm...

Several seconds passed before she began to move forward. She walked with a sort of undefined dignity, and she moved in a perfect, straight line... I closed my eyes as she passed where I stood against the wall, almost as if I was sure that closing my eyes would make me appear even less visible...

...Unfortunately, my eyes stayed closed for too long... When I reopened them, I was met by the glare of a pair of bright cobalt blue eyes. Without thinking, I moved my head back quickly in an attempt to put some distance between my head and hers, but instead I managed to successfully hit the back of my head against the wall, creating enough of a sound for her to hear.

Her beak turned up slightly as she sneered seemingly directly at me and her voice was thick with an air of omniscience, "_**Everyone**_ knows that invisibility isn't total. Anyone with the ability to scan in infrared can sense heat from anything." She held up the strange red gem that had been around her neck before continuing, "Even a mindless robot should know that. Now, where are you keeping the emeralds?"

I stared at her, deep in thought. _Robot. She thinks I'm one of... She thinks I'm an invisible robot... _I considered the idea. Perhaps I could pass as a robot if I stayed invisible... What was she here for, anyhow? My eyes shifted from her face to the exit, calculating the distance in my head. Maybe I wouldn't have to pretend to be a robot. Perhaps I could escape.

Looking through the corner of my eye at the door I took a quick sidestep... However, I had misjudged the distance between the swallow and myself. My attempt at a sidestep caught on her ankle, and she shrieked, tripping and falling forward -- naturally, falling forward into the wall which was blocked by me. One of her wings caught me in the stomach as she fell forward, and I breathed sharply, losing focus due to the pain long enough to render myself visible.

The swallow's eyes widened in surprise for a split second before her expression turned to one of deep irritation -- much like the look I myself have when dealing with Charmy for too long. She pushed herself off of me, glaring at me, and I saw her pull an object out of thin air... There was a glimmer of metal, then she lunged forward. I reacted quickly, on instinct, stepping out of the way. She hit the wall, her large metal wrench making a fair dent.

I watched her silently, prepared for any more strikes, but she seemed to be deep in thought. I recognized the look. _She is planning something. _

She turned around suddenly, and she squinted, looking over me before she huffed, "Alright, Scaley, lucky for you I'm not wasting my time on you." I stared at her, making quite evident how unamusing I found any nickname. She didn't seem to notice. "Anyway, I'm here for the emeralds, so if you know anything you'd better tell me, now."

I continued to stare at her, my voice as calm as ever, "Very well. I know that the emerald shards all belong to the Guardian of the Master Emerald."

She sneered, answering, "They belong to the one who finds them. That red mutt's the one who keeps losing them in the first place."

"Why are you carrying a wrench?"

She blinked for a moment then smirked. She began, "I'm a mechanic, an engineer. And I'm the world's leading expert on Extreme Gear.." I could tell by the tone in her voice that she liked the question. And I could also tell that she was about to begin a nice, lengthy soliloquy.

As can be assumed, my thoughts were correct. Soon, I was listening to the swallow describing every possible aspect of herself. She didn't seem to notice that I was there anymore, and her train of thought was slightly difficult to follow. The speech was rather pointless, but it served its purpose: I had managed to keep her off of the subject of the emeralds.

I stood about a foot in front of the wall opposite to her, listening quietly, as her voice rang on, "I don't even get why _**HE **_'s the one in charge. He hardly does_** anything**_! All he does is sit around in that office, telling us what to do! If anything's going to be done, I'm the one who has to do it! He's totally irresponsible...."

She continued like that for quite a while. I was a bit intrigued by her words. I could relate...

Without warning, she stopped talking. I foresaw where her mind was going and watched, unfazed, as she stepped with admirable speed, attempting to hit me with the large tool again. At that precise second, the sound of voices was apparent in the room next to the hallway. Caught just a bit off guard, I blocked the hit of the wrench by grabbing her forearm and holding it in place. But the speed at which she had been moving was too quick, and she rammed into me, causing us both to fall back against the wall.

My eyes snapped shut from the immediate shock as my head hit the wall. I winced, my head instantly recoiling in pain when the side of my head was also assaulted by the sharp edge of the swallow's beak. My right hand still had a hold on her right forearm, but her left wing had landed a blow on my chest sometime during the fall to the ground.

And, as if the Fates weren't acting cruelly enough against me, the door from the main room opened. And, as can only be expected, not simply one but several of the creatures I least wanted to see, particularly at that moment, made their entrance.

"ESPI - oh! Um... Wow, I didn't realize we were interrupting something, er...." A few gasps and a fit or four of laughter broke out from the group.

**I silently cursed the day that bee was born.**

**

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**

Poor Espio... Aw, well, really, poor anyone who's gotta deal with Charmy's terrible little mind. Haha, love that bee. But still... Now, Espio meets Wave? Interesting... And the others find them, as well... What will become of this? What is left to be revealed? Where will the next chapter take us? D: Where the heck is Knuckles?!! ....Guess we'll find out, hm?


	17. To Be

Okay.... First of all... February 2nd.... Everyone know what that means? :D Happy birthday, Knuckles! Yay! Sixteen again this year, huh? Alright! :D

So, yeah, this chapter is dedicated to Knuckles -- well, really the whole story is, but, haha. This whole story is dedicated to Knuckles the Echidna, of course. So, let's all eat grapes and celebrate!

-No, this is not the last chapter. However, the last chapter is fast approaching.

Here we are:

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**Chapter Seventeen: To Be  
**

"Where am I?" I asked the question before I actually made an attempt to examine the area. Still, I was pretty sure that I wasn't anywhere I knew... The stale smell that rode through the air was not something I could remember experiencing ever before.

But then a vaguely familiar, cold, powerful touch pressed against my shoulder, and a quiet voice answered my question, "In a safe place."

_Tikal? _I blinked slowly, allowing my eyes to get used to the low level of light in the area; it looked like I was in some sort of clearing in a forest... Chaos was glaring at me with his bright luminescent green eyes, his arm still on my shoulder, giving the impression of freezing, thin liquid running along the skin. And just as I had guessed, Tikal was standing in front of me, her eyes focused on my face.

She frowned as she tried to get me to look at her, and she said gently, "Knuckles... This has to stop."

_Am I on Angel Island? _I looked at the surrounding area, avoiding her gaze. I didn't respond to her.

After a moment of my silence she took a step forward. "Please, Knuckles, you must put an end to this."

I pushed Chaos' arm away, groaning painfully as my eyes met hers, "That is **exactly **what I was trying to do."

She shook her head, voice rising in pitch, "Please! You must understand -- if not simply as a noble creature of dignity and truth, then you have to understand... As Guardian of the Master Emerald!"

"I doubt I'm the Guardian anymore. The emerald won't accept me as Guardian -- not now."

"It will accept no one less than you!"

"Then find someone greater. Shouldn't be a difficult task."

"Stop talking like that! How can I make you understand? Remember who you are!" Her eyes almost had a pleading sheen to them. But those words were numb to me. _Remember who I am? After all that's happened?_

I remained expressionless, turning away from her, my voice dry, "Remember who I am? ...How am I supposed to do that when I don't know who I am? ... I've never known who I am!" As if he was afraid I was going to try and run off, Chaos grabbed me by the arm, but this time I didn't pull away. There had been doubt hanging on the edge of my mind ever since the ARK incident... "I don't even know **what **I am."

"You're Knuckles! Guardian of the Master Emerald!"

I spun around, making direct eye contact with her. "That tells me nothing!" I could feel myself trembling, so I took a deep breath before asking, "What am I, Tikal?"

She opened her mouth as if in shock, and she seemed to have trouble meeting my gaze. She tried to respond steadily, but her voice was faltering, "You... You're an echidna, of course..."

"Then where do I come from? Where are my parents? ...Why can't I remember anything?"

"What do you mean? Did something happen to you?"

"No, I mean... since forever. Why can't I remember... anything?" I stared at her, waiting for a response.

Her voice was weaker than before, "Knuckles, you lost your parents early in your childhood... You know that..."

"No." I closed my eyes. "I don't know that! I've never had any memory of my childhood, I don't remember ever being and younger -- the only thing I can remember at all is guarding the emerald..."

"I don't understand... You've never questioned your duty so much before..."

I lowered my head, "It's not my duty to protect the Master Emerald I'm questioning... It's me..."

She looked at me with pity, taking the mention of the Master Emerald as a subject change, saying gently, "You're more suited to protect the Master Emerald than any other being in the world."

I decided against mentioning her subject change. I had known that this was coming eventually. But my hatred had faded during the time I was gone, and I knew what the real thing that upset me was. For the moment, Tikal was asking me to resume Guardianship. _My emerald: my destiny._ I sighed, "I give up."

She panicked immediately, "No, you don't understa-"

"No," I stopped her, knowing that she thought I was declining, "I mean, I'll find the Master Emerald."

She sounded bewildered, "You, you mean...?" I nodded, and she shouted, "Knuckles, you're back!" Eyes still closed, I couldn't see her expression; still, I could tell that she was smiling.

But her shout was something that plagued me: _"You're back!"_ I thought about it for an instant before I decided, and I asked quietly, "I've been here the whole time, haven't I?"

There was an eerie silence in the forest all around me. I opened my eyes, looking up, focusing on the trees, the sky, the surrounding grass, any place I'd see a sign of life on the island... But silence and stillness remained.

**And Tikal didn't answer my question.**

I pretended not to notice, instead asking another question, "Where should I check first to find the pieces of the Master Emerald?"

She responded quickly, "Your chameleon friend -- Espio, I believe -- was looking for them..." I nodded darkly. Tikal took the nod as acknowledgement to her statement, and I did nothing to tell her differently. But silently I accepted the answer she never gave. Because her answering nothing at all made a more clear answer than anything she could have said.

I turned away, and Chaos released me easily. As I began walking, he moved back toward Tikal. I had almost reached the edge of the clearing when I heard her say behind me, "Oh, and, Knuckles... Rouge would probably be more than happy to help you find the emerald shards..."

_Rouge..._

_

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_

. . . Knuckles . . . is okay? He seems to be a bit... better, doesn't he? But then, what is it that's on his mind? His past? And what of Rouge? Is Knuckles' strange apparent resolution really a good thing, or something else entirely?

Yes, this is the LAST of the short chapters. I can safely promise that. This particular story will be winding to a close soon... So, look forward to long chapters ahead! When, you ask? Why, that is determined by you, my friends!

Reviews are wanted, appreciated, and loved! And they often affect the speed of updates. Just sayin'. ;) Hahaha, I'm kidding you all -- well, not entirely, since they do help with inspiration. But I do love your reviews! So please do review. ^^


	18. Escape Performance

I cannot express in any amount of wording how much I completely, utterly, totally, fully, absolutely despise school. I hate all of this work, and I hate that I can't write as often as I'd like to.

Still, glad I'm finally able to update. One more chapter after this one. Then the epilogue.

Thank you to everyone who's reviewed and to everyone who's helped to inspire me for this story.

Now, for the current end to this subplot. Told by someone who's had a bit too much sugar... Speaking of which, here's the disclaimer for this chapter, which, I can tell you right now, sounds pretty odd without having read the chapter already: I _do not_ own "The Song That Never Ends", "I Know a Song", "It's a Small World", or "Put a Banana in Your Ear". I hold no rights to any of those songs, and _none_ of them belong to me_ at all_.

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**Chapter Eighteen: Escape Performance**

I couldn't help but laugh every time I looked at Espio. Wasn't my fault! But every time I glanced at him I immediately thought of the position he'd been in when we'd walked into that room, and I thought of how pink his face had turned... Hehehe, just the thought made me giggle. Hi-larious!

"Espio and Wave, sittin' in a tree, K-I-S-S- something, something -G!" Did the voice singing that belong to me? Of course it did!!!

Espio clenched his fists but didn't look at me. Haha, he was _too embarrassed_! I would've gotten a kick out of Wave's reaction (no, literally, I probably would've!), but she'd left after only a few moments of my giggling. Now, it was me, Espio, and the rest of the group off to save Vector from GUN!

... "I'm BORED!"

Amy looked at me and smiled, saying, "Well, maybe we could play a game..."

A game?! I grinned. "What KIND-a game?"

She lowered her voice -- I think she was trying to sound intriguing, but it sounded a little creepy, if you ask me -- and said, "It's called the Quiet Game..."

"No way! That's a STUPID game!"

She tried making a pouty face. "You could give it a try..."

"Hahaha, you're _**way**_ too **old** to be able to pout! You look like a porcupine with an underbite!"

Of course, her face turned a dark shade of red, and she reached for her hammer. Hahaha, yay! I love this game!

The hammer never touched me! She'd swing, and I'd dodge; and she'd swing, and I'd dodge! "Haha, you can't catch me! You can't catch me!" She swung the hammer again, and it missed me again! I was SO fast!

Cream's mom didn't like the game, though, I don't think, because she quickly stepped forward, saying some stuff to Amy. Dunno what she said, but Amy quieted down and stopped trying to hit me.

Bored again, I looked at Espio and laughed. He ignored me, though. So, that was no fun! I floated over to Sonic and asked, "Are we there yet?" Sonic shook his head, so I frowned. "How much longer?"

The blue hedgehog didn't look at me. I think he was afraid of my awesomeness. Vector always did say Sonic was stuck-up. Hm. At least the hedgehog did respond with, "A while."

Wait. '_A while'?_ I buzzed over to Espio. "Espio, how long's 'a while'?"

He watched me from the corner of his eye and said, "It depends entirely."

I started to ask him what it entirely depended on, exactly, but then I remembered that I was supposed to laugh at Espio... So, I did. He tried to ignore me again.

I moved over to Cream. She's always nice, so I figured she'd tell me the truth. "Hey, Cream, how long is 'a while'?"

She thought for a moment then said, "I think it's a phrase adults use to indicate some time exceeding ten minutes... Other than that, I don't really know..."

Not entirely pleased with that answer I again flew over to Sonic. "How long is 'a while'?"

He frowned and still didn't look up at me, just saying, "Sometime in the future."

"I didn't ask WHAT it is -- I asked for how long it is!"

"I don't know. Not much longer."

" 'Not much longer' than what?"

"Where we are now."

"Oh." I waited for a second -- that's plenty of time, isn't it? -- then asked, "Are we there yet?"

"No, not yet."

"How about now?"

"Not yet."

"Now?"

"No."

"Now?"

"NO."

"Oh." I tried to pass the time by counting the blades of grass. _One... Two..._ I gave up. "Are we there yet, now?"

Sonic and Amy both groaned, yelling, "No, Charmy, we're not there yet!"

"Man, no need to yell... I've got ears, you know!" Neither of them said anything. So, since there was nothing left to do, I decided to entertain everyone with one of those road trip songs that Vector taught me: "I know a song that gets on everybody's nerves~, everybody's nerves~, everybody's nerves~! I know a song that gets on everybody's nerves, and this is how it goes: I know a song that gets on everybody's nerves~, everybody's nerves~, everybody's nerves~! I know a song that gets on everybody's nerves-"

I could tell Amy had clenched her jaw from the way she said, "Oh, yes you do, Charmy. Stop. Now."

_Hmph. Fine, then. _Still, I wasn't one to purposefully annoy people, you know? So, I got out a few of the sugar cubes I'd taken from the table during breakfast, and I started eating them._ Funny, coulda sworn I had thirty or so sugar cubes earlier... There's only five left? Huh. Cool. _After I was finished eating two of the cubes, I picked a new song: "This is the song that never ends~! It just goes on and on, my friend~! Some people started singing it, not knowing what it was~! And now we'll keep on singing it forever, just because~ - This is the song that never-"

"Well, you'd better end it, Charmy!"

"...Fine. But remember..." I grinned, another song coming to mind. "It's a world of laughter, a world of tears; it's a world of hope, it's a world of fear- there's so much that we share that it's time we're aware: it's a small world, after all!! It's a small world, after all~, it's a small world, after all~, it's a small world, after all~, it's a small, small world~! Everybody sing! It's a small world, after all, IT'S A SMALL-"

"CHARMY!!!"

"Fine." I crossed my arms. "Are we there yet?"

"NO."

"You don't sound very happy."

"I'm not." Amy really did sound a bit down.

So... I knew I had to help! It totally worked in that one video, I think... "I know what can wipe that sad away~! All you have to do is: put a banana in your ear~! Put a ripe banana right into your favorite ear-"

"Shut UP, Charmy!" It wasn't just Amy this time; Sonic had joined in on the yelling.

"Why?"

"If you don't shut up, we'll be caught."

"Huh?"

"We're here," Amy said, then added, "FINALLY."

"WE ARE?!"

"SHHHH!!!!" I giggled at all of them shushing me.

Espio stepped up to the huge wall I hadn't even noticed that we'd reached, and he turned to Sonic and asked, "Do we have a plan?" I blinked a few times, remembering what we were here for. _We're gonna save Vector!_

Sonic faced Espio and considered it for a moment before he said, "No. Usually just make it up as I go."

Espio nodded and stated flatly, "I assumed as much. Here's the plan then: Charmy infiltrates the base through the air vent located on the back wall of the main building. Meanwhile, Sonic, you offer a distraction to any officers on guard."

The blue hedgehog raised an eyebrow. "And how do you suggest I do that?"

"Simple. You're their missing agent who's been driven to the end of comprehension on matters of mind, earth, and most things else, for that matter."

Sonic stared at Espio cluelessly, furrowing his brow in an attempt to think over what had just been said. "I do what now?" Amy looked like she had partially understood...

Not entirely sure, Amy answered him, somewhat, "You're pretending to be... Shadow?"

As much as the annoyed look on Espio's face amused me, I knew that we needed to save Vector, and, at the moment, all we were doing was wasting time. These guys _obviously_ weren't schooled in the language of Espionese. So, I enlightened them, "Sonic's pretending to be Shadow, who's been missing from GUN for a few months. When they see him, he's supposed to act mad -- which, you know, would explain his absence as well as link a few other disappearances of their agents, since they've had several cases of agents going mad." Yeah, I'm smart!

Instead of acknowledging my fantastical translating skills, both hedgehogs just turned to me and questioned, "Mad?"

I nodded. "Yeah, you know: mad! Insane, bonkers, off your rocker, living in La-La Land..."

Sonic sweatdropped. "How do I do that?"

Espio watched me as I buzzed around the group, and he quietly said, "Just act a bit like Charmy, and you'll be fine." Hahaha, Espio made a joke! I popped another sugar cube into my mouth when they weren't looking, munching it happily.

"I won't be able to pass as Shadow..."

I grinned, joining their conversation again, "Sure you will! Just refrain from using the words 'blue', 'cool', 'dude', 'buddy', 'pal', and really anything else you ever say that is something Shadow would never say, unless perhaps in mockery or meanness. Just keep yelling stuff randomly like, 'I'm the Ultimate Lifeform', or, 'Chaos Control', or, 'Maria!' Betcha it'll work."

Espio sighed before continuing his plan, "While the guards are distracted, I will enter the building and locate Vector's prison cell. I'll break the code on the cell lock and knock out the hall guards before leaving. Sonic, you drop the act as soon as you see me leaving the building, and we knock out the guards and escape."

Sonic, puzzled, asked, "What about Charmy?"

"He's our other distraction. The guards hear the chattering of a child in the ventilation system, and they go to investigate. The main building is quite on a different side of the facility than the prison."

"You know a lot about this place."

"...I've been here a few times."

Amy stomped her foot, drawing the attention to herself, and she demanded, "What about us?!" Espio glanced over to the pink hedgehog and the Rabbits. Amy had a look of irritation on her face, daring Espio to say a word. Or not. Either way, it wouldn't have mattered. Espio remained silent. So, she commenced shouting, "Don't think I didn't notice how you conveniently left us out of your plan, Espio. 'Us' being the_ girls_! What, you don't think we can handly your stupid plan? Girls can do anything that boys can! You're such a sexist pig!" She took a step forward, challenging him.

Espio had just watched her as she shouted at him. But that very last comment was all it took to set him off. Much to the surprise of all of us, Espio took a step toward her as well. Amy blinked. She didn't actually think he would respond to her. But it was one of those rare times when Espio got angry... His voice was much the same as always, with the same calm tone, but it shook drastically as he said, "It's called 'chivalry'. And I realize that it is a lost practice in many regions of the modern world, but I believe it should at least be acknowledged as an honorable code."

Amy's temper flared. " 'Chivalry' was made up a long time ago, in a world where women were _**not**_ viewed equally, and it's not, in any way, honorable!"

"Why is it then that you have never said anything to Sonic for rescuing you when, I'm sure, as such an independent person you are, you could very well have saved yourself?"

"That's completely different!"

"I fail to see how."

"Well, obviously, I love Sonic, anyway, so I would have to love all of his flaws."

"Wha-... flaws?" Sonic raised the question in vain -- Espio and Amy didn't hear him.

Espio narrowed his eyes at Amy then said, "And what about other incidences in which other girls are saved?"

Amy crossed her arms. "That's not chivalry because it has nothing to do with them being _**girls**_. Sonic saves everyone."

Vanilla and Cream looked upset at the argument happening just in front of them, so I decided to cheer them up by singing another song... -- But I couldn't think of another song. _Oh, well. _So, I just decided to yell my name very loudly in a sing-y voice. _Charmy Bee. Yeah, that sounds lyrical enough. _"Charmy Bee!!! Bee, bee, BEE~!! Charmy BEE~~~!!! Bee, BEE, CHARMY~!!!" Espio and Amy both froze in place simultaneously, so I stopped singing. _What's goin' on?_ Then I heard something loud. _Uh-oh. _"...Espio, whadda we do???"

He stared at the wall, then turned his head over to the gate which was beginning to open. He closed his eyes then vanished into the air. I nodded, knowing Espio's odd ways already. Haha, Sonic and Amy just looked panicked. Amy shrieked, "It's GUN!! What do we do??"

I grinned, zooming around Sonic, chanting, "Fight, fight, fight, fight!!!" Something that I couldn't see hit me on the side of my head. "Ouch!!" I rubbed the side of my head. You know, it's a good thing I was wearing a helmet or that mighta hurt. "Okay, Espio says don't fight! Let's hide! Hide, hide, hide, hide, hide!!!!" Something else hit me in the side of the head. "Ow!! Stop that!" I flew up higher to get out of invisible Espio's reach. "Fine! Stick with the plan!" That musta been what Espio had wanted, 'cuz I didn't get hit that time.

Sonic shouted for Amy to take Cream and Vanilla and go hide in the forest, and she didn't argue. Probably since it was Sonic. I flew up and hid in the nearest tree, and Sonic stood still as a group of guys in GUN uniforms appeared, running in his direction. He looked at them, then at the wall, and then the blue hedgehog frowned, in a way I'd never seen him frown before. _Whoa. _I almost had to do a double-take as the hedgehog crossed his arms and leaned against the big wall. If it wasn't for the fact that I knew that was Sonic, I'd have sworn that it was Shadow.

Who would have known that Sonic can act? I crunched on my last sugar cube, knowing that Vector was gonna be alright. It was a good thought.

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It looks as though Vector is going to be rescued from GUN, hm? And Espio helps, though he's not too open about his previous visits to GUN... Sonic's an alright actor when it comes to being Shadow, and Amy's just as fiery as ever. The Rabbits are the same as always. Charmy's a bit high off sugar... Nothing out of the ordinary there.

Next chapter we tie up a few loose ends with our two terribly lost friends... (Yeah, up to this point I've been making it up as I go, but the remainder of the story is planned out. So, ha... We'll see how this goes.)

Reviews are always appreciated, remember!


	19. Deceived Existence

:'( Last.... chapter..... (There's still an epilogue coming, but still...)

I'm sorry to everyone who's reviewed and I have yet to respond to! I'm planning on giving every one of my reviewers an individual "thank you" and such at the beginning of the epilogue. And that may take a while, but I'll be working on it this week, since Spring Break's over, and schoolwork'll be slow for this week, at least.

Here we go, now....

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**Chapter Nineteen: Deceived Existence**

She had disappeared from the face of the planet. That was the only possible explanation. I didn't know where else I could look. Maybe she'd decided that she hated me. Maybe she never wanted to see me again. So, she just left Mobius altogether. Or, at least, moved away from this area. It'd been a few months. Two, three, maybe. That was long enough. Her moving was a possibility.

I didn't know what to do. I could go to Tails' workshop, to see if he might know where she could be... But... no. Tails was a good kid, but I don't think even he would want to help me after what happened with Sonic.

I fell back onto the grass, taking a break for the first time since I'd started looking for her. The sky was a strange shade of purple, clear, cloudless. _What time is it?_ I laid still, staring straight up to the clean, empty sky.

I probably should have searched for Rouge in the city. She didn't seem to be the type to spend her time out in nature. Maybe that was the problem. Maybe it was my fault I couldn't find her. I didn't want to go back to the city after all that had happened; I didn't want to be recognized anymore. Maybe that was the factor that was limiting me.

_Maybe I don't care enough to find her._

I sat up, feeling sick. I could barely function without having to think about her. Did that count as caring? The fact that I felt miserable every time I thought of the possibility of never seeing her again -- was that caring? Or was that just selfish?

I pushed myself up off of the ground. _Selfish. _I was searching for her to help me find the Master Emerald. Of course. The Master Emerald -- the one thing I actually cared about... Or was even that only selfish? Why was it that I needed to protect the Master Emerald? Because it was the only thing that I had left? _Because it's the only thing I can remember. _

I took a few steps through the grass of Angel Island. Everything about my life was irrational. It made no sense. _How many creatures are actually born without a parent? _It was a stupid question. I put my hand to my forehead, trying to think, to concentrate, to explain anything, but it all just confused me. Something was missing.

The altar approached me slowly -- or was I the one who approached it? Either way, as soon as the altar came into view I was aware of another presence in the area.

A figure was standing atop the altar. The altar of the Master Emerald. Just standing there. But that was more than enough.

No one is supposed to be on my island.

A wave of heat swept over me, melting away all thoughts, confusion, ... reason. The familiar sensation of air constricting my longs like a vice propelled me forward at a speed I was unaware of. My feet hammered at the solid dirt just below the shrine, and I hardly noticed the impact my fist made with one of the shrine's surrounding pillars. I just barely saw the pillar crumble at my touch. The stairs came, and I lunged to the top of the altar.

The figure was huddled over in the shade, hiding its face. I snarled at the sight and shouted, "Who are you, and what do you want with the Master Emerald?!"

The words escaped my mouth like a lie. No truth. No satisfying feeling at all. Empty. Why? I turned my head. The Master Emerald was gone. Of course. That's why. Nothing. I was protecting nothing. No satisfaction from shouting, from anger. Just emptiness, nothing. A lie.

And as if to confirm the lie, the figure looked at me. She looked up at me. And yet she didn't. Her eyes were hazy as if she was unsure of what she was looking at. I realized it instantly: she was scared of me. The fear in her aqua eyes was evident.

I took a step back. Fear. I'd never seen a look like that on her face. It didn't belong there. My hands trembled violently as I backed away.

_I'm the Guardian of the Master Emerald._

_I'm the Guardian of the Master Emerald._

_I'm the Guardian of the Master Emerald._

I stared down at my fists. _That's a lie. _A thin bit of dust from the ancient marble pillar I'd knocked down remained on my glove. The image of Rouge's fearful, clouded eyes burned itself into my head...

_It can't be a lie._

_But it is._

Somewhere in the background of my thoughts, something was happening. Rouge's voice echoed, "...Kn-...Knuckles? ...The Master Emerald is gone..." Was she saying that? Or was her voice some sort of memory of mine? No, I didn't remember those words. She was talking, then.

I tried to look in her direction to respond, but I couldn't really see. Everything was a blur... My voice grated against my throat as it whispered, "I know..." The response apparently sounded genuine, thoughtful enough...

Her arms somehow found me; I could feel her embrace -- was it bad that I couldn't see her? My thoughts fought with each other. Should I even let her hug me? What if it was dangerous just for her to be around me? I'd told Tikal that I'd find the emerald... But what if... What if that was a lie, too?

Rouge laid her head against me and whispered, "Knuckie... why...?"

I wished desperately to be able to see her, but the unnatural meshed whir of the world around me was beyond my control. I answered her honestly, I thought, but no sensation of truthfulness came when I said, "I think I'm going insane." The lack of truth in the statement disheartened me. I'd always known when I'd lied. Was that ability going away? Or was I no longer able to tell the difference between the truth and the lies...?

Her arms tightened around me. "No, it's not insane... This is real."

_No. I don't want it to be. _Wait, how did she know? She couldn't know... So, what was she talking about, then? What did she think I was talking about? "Real? What's rea-?" I was cut off. By the sudden touch of her lips against mine.

The touch was soft, gentle... But as far from soothing as could be possible.

I don't know what happened.

The blur of the world around me began spinning in a fury of color with such a force that it made me dizzy. Whether from the shock of the kiss or the dizziness of the spinning world, I felt my legs suddenly weaken. I collapsed.

My head met the harsh, unyielding marble of the shrine.

Everything around me seperated into shape, into definition. Into sense. My vision had returned.

Rouge had withdrawn her arms from the embrace. She was lying in an awkward position, somewhat on top of me, somewhat on top of the shrine. She was looking straight into my eyes. Her own eyes were panicked.

A rustling of leaves from the forest below the altar captured my attention, though.

Rouge's voice spoke, in the background once again, "Knuckles, are you okay?!"

I tried to sit up. I couldn't see the trees from where I was lying.

I felt Rouge's hand on the back of my head, and, vaguely, I heard her say, "Knuckles... You're bleeding!"

My eyes focused on her. "I am?" She looked at me, still in a state of panic. As if to prove her statement, she removed her hand from the back of my head to show me the fresh, red blood stain stretching across the entire palm of her previously white glove. I blinked.

Before I could say anything, there was the sound of something, someone gliding along near the shrine stairs. I jolted into an upright position, turning my head toward the stairs.

Nothing.

Rouge tilted her head in the direction I was facing, then she looked back at me as if she was concerned. "Knuckie? What's wrong?"

I could feel my heartbeat pound against my chest, but I had no idea why. Maybe it was because I had begun to recognize what was wrong with that last lie: _"I think I'm going insane."_

I shook my head and answered her question, "I thought I heard something."

She glanced again toward the stairs, shrugged, and motioned to her ears, which I knew were much more capable of picking up sounds in the air than my own. "I didn't hear anything." She frowned, her eyes traveling across her bloodstained glove, and then she continued, "Do you have anything to bandage your head with?"

"No."

Her aqua eyes narrowed. "You don't usually get hurt?"

"I usually just bleed it out." Her face held a blank expression for a moment but morphed into a look of horror as her eyes trailed down to my hands. I could tell she was thinking about the cuts that had been there last time she saw me. The look on her face was of déjà vu.

She recounted dryly, as if entranced, "It's just blood..." Her eyes closed slowly, and her face twisted up as if in pain. "What did you do when...?"

_When I hurt you? _"I tried to kill myself."

Her eyes opened. And they were shining -- not in a good way... She was going to cry. I could tell. It made me feel sick. Like something inside me was burning. It made me remember. That night, the last time I made her cry. I'd sworn never to hurt her again. And yet here I was.

A decision. A decision that was hardly a decision at all.

**My word to Tikal. Or my word to Rouge.**

_I'm sorry, Tikal. _"Rouge... I'm.... sorry." I felt like poison had settled itself in my blood, making itself at home. In the past I would have kept to my word, every promise that I made. But... Things had changed. Important things. Things that I wasn't even sure made me the same.

I hadn't been oblivious to the stares I'd gotten when I'd entered the Rabbits' house months ago. I knew I was different then. I didn't realize how much.

But this difference in myself was something that I couldn't ignore. No one seemed able to ignore it anymore. I was confused as to what in myself were natural changes and what were changes that shouldn't ever be happening. Was it bad that I couldn't feel pain? That I... didn't mind being hurt? Was it bad that I couldn't remember ever having parents? That I... could only remember being alone? And that... the only time I even realized how bad being alone can be, I was the one who made it worse.

An image of Sonic the Hedgehog, covered in blood crept into my mind. I remembered when I first imagined that image. Was it bad that I imagined others being hurt? ...That I dreamt in bruises and blood?

Rouge was staring at me. I didn't want to look at her anymore. I couldn't stand that look of pain on her face. Her voice was soft, "Knuckie, what's... what's wrong...?"

I forced myself to meet her gaze, despite the burning in my soul that told me not to. I opened my mouth to speak, but even I hardly recognized my voice anymore, "I lied, Rouge." I felt like her name didn't belong in that sentence. In that voice... None of this was her fault. But I was no longer safe to be around.

A tear fell from her eye. "Knuckie? ....Wh- what do you mean?" She put a hand on my arm -- the same hand that was drenched in my blood. She was shouting then, tears spilling, "You can't go again! You just came back!" She tightened her grip around my wrist. "Knuckie, you can't go... When you're not around... I'm not myself..." Her voice had quieted. "I can't remember things... A lot of time passes... Things I just barely remember."

I registered her words easily. Seperation from extended periods of time with Chaos energy. It could drive a creature crazy. Made sense. She had spent a lot of time with me, or, at least with the Chaos Emeralds and Master Emerald during our time fighting Eggman. That must've been what was wrong when I first saw her again at the party. I felt a surge of guilt. That must have been what it was that made her so happy to see me. She thought it was me. But it was just the fact that I emanate with Chaos energy. That was all. She wouldn't have been hurt at all if it hadn't been for me in the first place...

I withdrew a Chaos Emerald -- the one that I'd taken from Metal Sonic's stash. He had been planning something, I knew. I needed to hand off the emerald, anyway. "It would best go to a treasure lover like you, anyway, Rouge."

She stared at me in disbelief. "Wh-what?" I stood up and turned away from her. Behind me, I heard her stand up, as well. "You don't honestly think that any jewel is enough to be a substitute for you, do you? Knuckles, what is wrong with you?!"

"I lied. I don't _think_ I'm _going _insane. I **_know _**that I'm already there." She said nothing. "I'm going to find help."

"What? Where? Why?"

I didn't answer. A silent rustling of tree leaves in the forest below caught my attention.

_How many creatures are actually born without a parent? _None, of course. Because those creatures can't be born. Those creatures are... created.

* * *

Ah, I debated with myself whether to end on that line... But, yeah, I decided to. Figured it was a good way to end the story while only resolving the bare minimum! Yay! Hahaha, I'm sure everyone hates that. Oh, well. The epilogue's coming soon, and I think several of you have already figured out how or at least who the epilogue's going to be focused around. No, this cycle will not keep repeating itself. Some things are about to be resolved... And other things... Are going to confuse and disturb. But the sequel's first chapter will be posted immediately after the epilogue, so it's not as if there's going to be a long break between the stories. I'm mainly just seperating the sequel and Gone due to a focus on a very strange, radical idea in the sequel. And also probably a darker atmosphere.

Hahaha, but, now that all of that seriousness is out of the way.... If you want a personal note on the epilogue written to you from EchidnaGirl (That's me!!!!) about your review(s), then feel free to submit any last reviews right now!!!!! [You could wait to review the epilogue, but then you may or may not get a note -- depending on how lazy I feel then.] -- And oh yes, I know you all want a personal review reply displayed publicly from EchidnaGirl, don't you? That's incentive right there!!!

[XD No, I'm not being serious, in case you can't tell. Total sarcasm. (I mean, yeah, I am replying to everyone on the epilogue, but I don't actually expect you to be jumping at the idea of a reply from me. XD I'm not THAT self-absorbed. I'd have to be Sonic to be that big-headed...) Hahaha, but please do review, everyone! See you all at the epilogue, I hope! ]


	20. Epilogue

T.T I hate stupid computers and their stupid computer problems. .

Believe it or not, I didn't have much trouble writing this or the sequel. It was just the issues with internet, computer, email, the school, and all that stupid stuff that gets in the way.

My greatest, most sincere, quite necessary thanks to all my readers, and, especially, all of my **reviewers**:

~amethystuchiha

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~Sam Brody or Moon Princess

~Wilhemina-The-Conqueress

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~tails23

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~Mable

~Wing of the Phoenix

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~Forever'nAlways

~toolazytothinkoforiginalname

~Robyn. K. Prower

~Creatively Common

~Knouge4Ever

You are all beyond incredibly amazing and fantastic, and I dedicate this to you~~!

* * *

**Epilogue**

"Did you find him?" Metal's voice reverbrated in my ears not even a moment after I entered the room. Behind me, the doors slid closed, leaving the room in darkness. The only light came from the glow of Metal Sonic's eyes.

I skated across the room, away from the robot, toward the old base's supercomputer. I had no trouble finding the switch to the computer's power; I was accustomed to finding my way in the dark. The power cut on, and the screen grew bright with an electric green flash. The green left an unsettling feeling inside of me.

"Did you find him?" The robotic hedgehog had seemed to feel the need to repeat himself. And I determined that he would most likely continue to feel that need until he got an answer.

So, simply, not looking away from the enormous computer screen, I said, "Yes." I hoped that Metal would be satisfied with that. So, naturally, he wasn't.

"Did you return it?"

I stiffened at his question. _Did I return it? _I tightened my grip around the green emerald shard. It felt just like any other stone in my hand. Just a useless gem. Perhaps worth some money... In my hand...

But not in... his.

The robot's artificial eyes glared at me. "You did not return it?"

I raised the emerald and stared at it. I'd never felt so useless before. I was the Ultimate Lifeform. Why, then, was it that I could not control such a small piece of the Master Emerald when that echidna so easily controlled the entire thing? ... Why did I care so much, anyway? I wasn't sure. But all I could think of was how dead the emerald looked in my hand... And how alive it seemed to be in his.

And an image of him on the ARK, angry yet calm, powerful, able to reclaim order, to level Chaos, with just a few words...

Metal Sonic's voice sliced through my thoughts, reminding me of the robot's prescence. "He fascinates you."

Instantly, my head snapped up to face the robot, who had apparently moved close to the computer while I was lost in my thoughts. I asked as if I didn't know, "What is that supposed to mean?"

"The echidna." Metal's eyes blinked, feigning innocence. "You are intrigued by him."

_Hmph._ The robot most definitely did not appear innocent, in any sense of the word. I narrowed my eyes. "What are you attempting to imply?"

Metal Sonic turned away, a strange, morbid sense of satisfaction emanating from his face, though his features remained stoic. His metallic fingers tapped on the computer controls, making the screen transition into the computer's database. Eyes on the screen, he stated carefully, "Nothing. I agree that he is a subject worthy of interest."

I considered the words for a moment. What did he mean?

Metal was flipping through hundreds of files on the computer when he asked blankly, "Have you ever heard of any creature without parentage?"

My eyes flickered to the screen. "Any form of parentage, no."

"Precisely." The robot continued to look through files, apparently searching for a specific file. I watched as he scanned the screen with ease, swiftly determining the files he didn't wish to see. I gave up on trying to read the names of the documents: they were visible only for a split second before Metal negated the contents.

Finally, Metal Sonic paused during a scan. I glanced at the screen.

_...What the... _"What is it?"

He stared at the screen thoughtfully but didn't say a thing.

My eyes were caught on the second word at the top, in large, red letters.

_There's... no... way..._

* * *

Short? Of course it is. D: But what does that file say? D:

"Unforgivable" is the title to the sequel, and why it's called that will all make sense quite quickly, I think. Look for it if you wish! :) The first chapter is posted already.


End file.
